By John Odyek
Anne Kansiime, the often jolly comedian with the Fun Factory outfit and actress, is liked in many parts of Africa and should be considered as Uganda’s top selling brands, Prof. Augustus Nuwagaba has said.
Nuwagaba, a re-known economist, revealed that while at an airport in Kenya, he got his passport quickly stamped when the immigration official, who is a fan of Kansiime, realised that he was from Uganda.
“Do you know Kansiime?” the immigration official asked Nuwagaba.
“Yes, I am from the same village as Kansiime,” replied Nuwagaba.
At that instant, he heard the loud sound of the stamp striking his passport.
As Nuwagaba proudly walked on, he looked up at one of the screens at the airport and saw one of Kansiime’s comedy kits being aired.
Nuwagaba (left) discussing with Prof. Sam Obwoya Kinyera (right), the deputy board chairperson at the National Planning Authority. Centre is Moses Dhizaala, technical adviser to the National Planning Authority executive director. Photo by Ronnie Kijjambu
He added that while in South Africa, immigration officials were happy to talk with him about Denis Onyango, the Uganda top goalkeeper playing in South Africa. He told them that Onyango was his “tall brother”. Nuwagaba said the immigration officials expressed happiness that they were talking with a ‘relative’ of a top football brand in brand.
Nuwagaba said this while making a presentation to officials of the National Planning Authority at their conference room in Kampala. The title of the presentation was: Nuwagaba 8-point model on economic transformation.
He explained that the model focuses on developing family enterprises which can lead to economic transformation. Nuwagaba said brands are one the things that can transform an economy.
He asked families to work in harmony and see that the ‘old’ money stays around for generations and does not die.; and similarly not always creating “young money” which dies when the owner dies.
