What next for Uganda’s rolex?

Rolex is the name of a world renowned watch making company and its products. In Uganda, Rolex is the name of a popular egg roll that became the staple food for many young people from the early 2000s. It now has a whole generation of eaters.
The Uganda Rolex is an amazing innovation. It is space saving, can fit snugly even in a purse, can be eaten on the go, and so it is time saving. It is also very affordable which makes it to be very appealing to people living on a lean budget.
So much has been the growth of the Rolex industry that on August 21 the ministry responsible for Tourism held the maiden Annual Rolex Festival in Kampala. Ugandans are prone to navel gazing and this trait was evident in the comments that followed after the Rolex festival.
Picture did the rounds on social media with the caption: “Today in history. Kenya is launching air ambulance and Uganda is launching Rolex Chapatti.”
The intended meaning was clear - that Kenya launched a superior product to that of Uganda. Another media house used a not very flattering picture of a cabinet minister taking a bite of the now famed Rolex.
While all this went on in Uganda, someone in Denmark set up a website to advertise the availability of Rolex in Copenhagen. A Ugandan innovation has gone onto the international market. Let us figure out how to cash on it.
I wonder if the dynamics of the Rolex industry are now going to change. Will I soon find Rolex on the menu of an upscale restaurant or will it remain on the roadside? Can Uganda get a patent for its Rolex without any hindrance from Rolex the watch company?
Some people hold the fear that as long as government had nothing to do with it, the Rolex industry was doing just fine. However, now that Rolex has national recognition, government might appoint a commissioner or minister for Rolex Affairs and even introduce a Rolex tax!

James Abola is a business and finance consultant. Email: [email protected].