Tumwesigye earns big from chicken roasting business

As a youngster, Eddie Tumwesigye says chicken was never one of his favourite meats.

“I liked goat meat because we used to eat it more often. My father owned a goat firm and once in a while we would slaughter one,” says Tumwesigye.

Now 31 years of age, Tumwesigye says the tables have turned and chicken is not only one of his favourite meats, it is also his cash cow.

He owns three chicken roasting places in Kyaliwajjala, Kamwokya and Ssondein Kira.

It is the Kyaliwajjala place that made him a household name and generated money that enabled him to open up other places.

He named them: Eddie’s Chicken Point.

He says his foray into the chicken roasting business, five years ago, was accidental.

“I had a friend who used to roast chicken by the roadside in Kyaliwajjala. I would often visit him and see how he worked. Later I urged him to teach me how to roast chicken and after three months, I started my chicken roasting stall, some metres from him,” Tumwesigye says.

He says the decision to begin an independent stall affected their friendship at first but later the two made up and in some cases work together.

Tumwesigye has injected a touch of professionalism into his business, which makes him stand out from his competitors.

All his workers dress smartly in uniforms while his stalls are beautifully done to attract customers.

“Many people want to associate with a clean cool place because I deal in food therefore I have to be smart and clean,” he says.

Tumwesigye is also contracted to roast chicken at big gatherings like weddings , introductions, idd festivities where he earns an extra buck.

From his chicken roasting business, Tumwesigye has bought a van and opened a chicken farm in Nakasongola district which is about 80 KM from Kampala.

He says the farm currently has 5,000 broiler chicken which feed into his business.

He has also educated his three children who are still in primary school.

Challenges

One of his biggest challenges is the unpredictable price of chicken in the market, which affects his business.

“ Today the price is low because there are so many chicken in the market, tomorrow it shoots up because of increase in chicken feeds and scarcity of live chicken,” he says adding that it forces him to adjust his prices to the chagrin of his loyal customers.

Another challenge is the influx of many people into the chicken roasting business. While this has enabled many people to earn a living, it has also reduced his profit margins.

Advice

He advises young people to be steadfast in their goals and not to lose focus.

“Sometimes things do not go well but you have to soldier on. That is business,” he says.

Tumwesigye says to succeed in business, young people must sacrifice and avoid getting carried away by small success.

“Don’t eat your capital because you want to impress a few friends. You must ensure that your financial books are in order,” he says.

He says young people must create their own jobs and not look at government jobs because there are few formal jobs.

Future plans

Three years from now, Tumwesigye wants to have at least 10 chicken roasting points spread in Kampala and Wakiso.

“That way I will dominate the chicken roasting business in Kampala and beyond,” he says.