PROJECT SUCCESS: Muyambi was always an exemplary student

In Part XX of Project Success, we trace Engineer Anthony Muyambi who topped the country in the 1995 O’ level exams. He told his story to Christine Katende

Engineer Anthony Muyambi scored aggregate 8 in 8 subjects to emerge the best students in the 1995 Uganda Certificate of Education examinations.

Unlike other students who overcame major odds after a faltering start, Muyambi has always been on top of his class.

His mother is a teacher and he had several brothers and sisters ahead of him in class who supported him on his way to scoring aggregate 4 in his Primary Leaving Examinations.

“Our house was full of material, so everything moved on smoothly. My big sisters and brothers were very much ahead of me so I could even read ahead, getting a chance to know more than what the teachers were giving us,” he said.

For his secondary education, Muyambi joined St Joseph’s Vocational School in Mbarara because he already had cousins there to protect him from teasing.

“I did not have any kind of fear of being teased because I knew my cousins were there to give me protection. Who would touch me really? I think students feared to be expelled because I remember on my first assembling day, a student was expelled for teasing a new boy,” he said.

Muyambi joined Mary’s College, Kisubi for his A’ level where a score of 1ABB in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics, earning a place at Makerere on government scholarship.
At Makerere, he offered Civil Engineering and graduated with a upper second class degree.

“I was very focused that I couldn’t waste time where it was unnecessary. At least I couldn’t just do things for granted,” he said of his time at Makerere.

He attributes the good quality engineering graduates produced at Makerere University to the good relationship between the lecturer and his class.

Head hunted
During our conversation at Case Travel Restaurant, the 31-year-old said he never waited for graduation to look for a job.

One of his lecturers contracted him to an engineering job at his farm in Mbarara where he earned Shs600,000 per month for four years.

The money just accumulated and since at that time there were few ATMs, maybe Nile Bank, I could only check the payroll list to confirm my salary. Me and my money were very far from each other there was no access to it,” he said laughing heartily.

The jovial engineer says he decided to leave his money to accumulate for the four years he worked with Kark Technical Firm because he had a dream of setting up his own. He left the firm after four years and joined Elgon Construction Company Limited.

Self employed
Muyambi is currently general manager of Felton Construction Company Ltd, an engineering firm he stared with his colleagues in 2007. He has already undertaken projects in Mbarara, Kampala, Busia, Manafa, Kaliro, and Bugiri Districts.

Despite his obvious brilliance, he has also never found time to study for a post graduate qualification.

“I had an idea of going back to Makerere for a Masters degree but I failed due the busy schedule,” he said.