My engineering aspiration was shaped by my family – Kimera
Projects. Allan Kimera has worked at Karuma and Isimba power dams and mini-hydro power stations in Kasese and Bundibugyo. COURTESY PHOTOS
What you need to know:
Allan Kimera, 33, says his siblings assigned each other professions and he was named the family engineer. He had to make it happen, so did everybody else.
If he had to describe himself to a stranger, Allan Kimera would say he is an ambitious yet laid back introvert. In person, he is a free spirited person who, if known to you, will share more than just a smile and pleasantries.
He is light-hearted too, perhaps different from what could come to mind when someone mentions his profession- an electrical engineer. As a boy, everyone at home knew Kimera would turn out to be an engineer of sorts.
He drew pleasure from fixing things. “My childhood aspiration was shaped by my family. For diversity, my siblings assigned each other professions and I was named the family engineer. I had to make it happen, so did everybody else,” he recounts.
It should be something he is proud about. Today, he is a freelance consultant electrical engineer who mostly works on energy construction projects for power companies.
The list includes Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL), Rural Electricity Agency (REA) and Umeme, as well as power plants like Karuma and Isimba power dams and mini-hydro power stations in Kasese and Bundibugyo.
“I always work under the consultant team on these projects,” he adds. His work entails supervising the procurement, installation, testing and commissioning of all electrical equipment.
He also monitors project progress via regular progress meetings, reports and time schedules. In effect, he supervises the design and procurement. As a freelance consultant electrical engineer, Kimera is employed for contractual periods during which he fully represents companies and works closely with the permanent staff there.
“I registered my own company but so far my employers have recruited me as an individual,” he adds. His education journey gives an idea about his brilliance streak.
He started at Seeta Boarding Primary School for nursery. He then joined Mugwanya Preparatory School, Kabojja for primary, King’s College Budo for secondary studies and Makerere University for bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering.
He is still undecided on whether to do a master’s of Business Administration (MBA) or a master’s degree in engineering come next year. When he graduated in 2008, he started his career path at Britania Industries where he served for two years.
In 2010, he joined MTN Uganda. Between 2011 and 2013, he was at Tororo Cement from where he joined Linksoft Communication. In 2014, he joined Fichtner Consulting Engineers where he worked for three years.
In 2017, he joined EIPL (Karuma, then Artelia/Kkatt Consult for Isimba, last year. He returned Fichtner to manage the Getfit projects this year for REA.
To be able to keep his high, with all the work coming his way, Kimera upholds the work ethics of integrity and making sure he gives his whole when on assignment.
Kimera says working with expatriates has taught him not to cut corners.
“Working with expatriates has taught me not to cut corners, especially with regards to quality of work. If you combine strictness with friendliness, you will remain in everybody’s good books,” he explains.
His advises that however much you want to maintain your career goals, utilise any available opportunity to work even if it’s not in your field of study, you will find satisfaction in every bit of experience you gain.
The best career advice he has received was at his first job where the managing director of Britania, who is also a family friend, kept telling him to do any work he is assigned to do even if it is not engineering.
He adds, “Actually at Britania I did Information Technology (IT), sales and marketing work too. I learnt how to be open-minded, so up to today I can do anything at the workplace.”
Duty
He works with teams all the time and the best way he manages them is by giving clear instructions and keeping track of individual strengths to manage expectations.
That is how he excels at work. Away from it, Kimera is a family man who is used to working all over the country. “It has taught me to value time with family, so my life besides work revolves around spending quality time with my wife and children,” he reveals.
With family, he enjoys visiting malls, beaches, restaurants, parks and anywhere with kids play areas. The five things that he loves about Uganda is her weather, security, tribal diversity, food variety and the natural tourist attractions, especially in the west.
He has visited tourist attractions and among those he has enjoyed are the national parks; Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls, Lake Mburo, Semliki and Mgahinga.
The beautiful crater lakes in Kabarole have left a spell on him and so has the Sipi falls in Kapchorwa, the hot springs in Kasese and Rukungiri, the rocky hills in Kabale, Ntungamo and Mubende, to mention but a few.
His social hobbies also include playing soccer, basketball and volleyball. He also enjoys swimming, watching movies and board games. He does not care about what he wears.
If he had his way, he would always casually dress to work, and precisely wear shorts to work on a daily. For now, he will not rattle feathers. He will turn up dressed in ‘corporate wear’.
