January 2007

Only on Nalubale! posted on January 31, 2007 - 1:45am

Only in Uganda!: free enterprise, private initiative, innovation and the insatiable desire to talk.

Stanbic Has Landed posted on January 26, 2007 - 4:24pm

From a IPO priced at 70/- a share to one priced at 205/-, that is almost 300% investment growhth. Not many investment schemes can deliver that. And it is a well deserved pat on the backs of all long suffering sons and daughters of the soil.I bought 20,00 shares, on the 2nd last day of the offer.......and boy am I smiling, wish I hads bought more, just did not think I would be allocated a bigger share.Its great that a public holiday has dampened a bit of the euphoria, because the hard work of maintaining ones new found wealth, and more so keeping it growing, has begun.

A Kenyan Colony? posted on January 21, 2007 - 8:57pm

I am sure many have read the article by Dr. Ian clarke that appeared in today's edition of the sunday Vision newspaper. He simply stated something that we all have noticed, but typically we mutter under our breath and look on.The invasion of the kenyan professional manger on the Ugandan scene is a well established phenomenon and shows no sign of subsiding. The entire senior management of many multinantionals and subsidiaries of kenyan companies have all been hired almost exclusively from across the border.This in itself is not a bad thing as they have capabilities that the 'locals' may not have. and for ther economy to grow it is always necessary to import migrant skilled labour from anywhere on the planet if necessary. But is there really that dire a shortage of skilled local labour??What isn't okay is the fact that ugandan professionals in Kenyan do not enjoy the same upward mobility.

A new econmic beginning??? posted on January 18, 2007 - 4:41pm

The Stanbic IPO is now officially over and the returns are in. We all have got the shares we applied for and for many this is the birth of their stock portfolio. With it will come the ups and downs that the roller coaster ride called the stock market will bring.But the upside is that it is also a new dawn in the way people save and grow their wealth. I need not go into the lousy interest rates that banks offer and the very high ones they charge when you go to borrow it back!! Now a new way of investing money other than the usual suspects: land, houses, bufundas and the very fashionable but rediculously named high schools.Expect to see unit trusts or mutual funds showing up on the scene. Expect more companies to launch IPOs, no doubt impressed by the long queues of eager citizens, having dug up the money from a hole in the bottom of the garden and coming out to buy shares. These are truly exciting times.

Random Clips posted on January 17, 2007 - 4:45am
From the boondocks to very sunny Kampala posted on January 10, 2007 - 4:06pm

I don't know if its because I have been moving about in the cooler climes of Bushenyi, Ntungamo, Mbarara and Rukungiri that I feel this city has turned into a 24/7 steam bath or if thats how its been all along. I can't cover myself at night and that means I am having issues with those ear loving insects (having always considered myself to cool to sleep under a mosquito net.The travelling around has been a good break and I feel somewhat rejuvenated. Got some business done and checked on sme people I share DNA with, who I would have not seen for another decade or so.

Happy New year to Y'all posted on January 4, 2007 - 2:12pm

I would like to wish you all a happy bran new 2007, which looks like its going to be a hell of a lot better than 2006.Sorry I have been away for long. Originally it was because I had somehow lost my blogging mojo, but over the past month or so it has been because I have been galavanting in areas with names like Nyakagyeme, Namufumura, Katereeza, Kyaka, Ruhinda (all in western and southwestern Uganda), which are internet challenged.I am actually just going through Bushenyi town right now and I have taken advantage of some NGO office to make this quick post.Will be uploading some pix and getting my blog on soon enough. But first will spend like two days seeing what I have missed from all of you.Did I wish you all a Happy New Year?