Working in a family-run garage, where everyone, from her parents to her siblings, has been taught the mechanics trade, Joyce feels right at home. PHOTO | RAMADHAN ABBEY
It was a moment that made David Mutebi’s jaw drop. He would come to a thriving garage at Kiryowa village, about five kilometres from Nile Breweries, to get his vehicle fixed. He did not expect to see a young woman working on the car. She was dressed in a green overall, and as soon as he laid eyes on her, he could not help but exclaim, “You look just like my daughter’s teacher.”
The woman, unfazed, smiled and said, “It is common for people to look alike. But you are welcome, sir. What seems to be the problem with your car?”
Mutebi blinked in surprise. He had never met a female mechanic before, and she was confidently working on cars. It was not just that she was a teacher, just as his daughter’s biology and chemistry teacher; it was the fact that she was a mechanic, defying the traditional gender roles that usually see men dominating the industry.
An early passion
The woman was Joyce Nalubowa, a 27-year-old teacher with a passion for fixing cars. She works as a teacher at St Joseph High School, Namagunga, but during school holidays, she heads back to her family’s garage in Kiryowa, where she works alongside her parents and siblings, repairing everything from cars to tractors.
Joyce’s love for mechanics started early. After passing her A-level exams with flying colours (20 points in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics), she went on to pursue a degree in Biology and Chemistry at Makerere University. But teaching did not stop her from keeping up with her second love: mechanics. She joined her father, George Katabula, a well-known mechanic in the area, in their family business, N.K. Engineering & Spare Parts garage.
Challenging gender norms
In a world where many people still believe that certain jobs are “for men,” Joyce is shaking up the status quo. "Some people still think women cannot do what men do," she admits.
"But I am here to prove that is not true. And the more I work, the more people start to realise that women can handle these tasks just as well as men."
Working in a family-run garage, where everyone, from her parents to her siblings, has been taught the mechanics trade, Joyce feels right at home.
The garage is a family affair, with Joyce and her siblings trained by their father from an early age. Even their mother, Joyce Nakijjo, who works as a counsellor at Njeru Municipality, is skilled in the trade.
A family legacy
“I started learning when I was in Primary Four,” Joyce recalls. “By the time my Primary Seven vacation started, I was working alongside my father, fixing cars. It is something I loved doing.”
Her father, Katabula, always wanted his children to have practical skills. “I wanted them to have something they could rely on,” he says. “They all had the passion, and they picked it up quickly. It was not about not being able to afford school fees; it was about giving them hands-on skills they could use for life.”
Joyce’s story is not unique. Her siblings are also skilled mechanics, and some of them even work at the family garage. During the pandemic, while other people struggled, Joyce and her family thrived. The skills they had acquired over the years kept them busy and helped them get through the tough times.
Mastering the craft
Today, she can diagnose and repair just about any vehicle problem. She explains things in technical terms, but it is clear she knows her stuff.
"If you hear a rattling sound when you start the car, it could be pre-ignition. It happens when the air mixture in the engine is ignited prematurely," she says, breaking down the mechanics of the engine like it is second nature.
What is even more impressive is that Joyce, despite her expertise, has never let her mechanic skills overshadow her teaching career. "I love teaching," she says. "I do mechanics as a hobby. It is something I am passionate about, but teaching is my main profession. I want to use the skills I learnt at Makerere to be the best teacher I can be," she adds.
A family affair
The family’s garage, N.K. Engineering, is named after the first letters of the family members’ names, reflecting their collective pride in the work they do. They have built a reputation for their skills, and now, more and more people are starting to trust women such as Joyce to work on their cars.
“It has not always been easy,” Joyce admits. “But now, people see the work I do and trust me.”
Katabula, her father, is incredibly proud of his children and wife, all of whom are mechanics in their own right. “We have built something together, and it is a legacy I am passing down.”
BREAKING BARRIERS FOR WOMEN
Joyce’s message to young people, especially women, is simple: do not be afraid to break barriers. “Women should not shy away from mechanical work. There are so many opportunities out there, and it is not about being a job seeker; it is about being a job creator,” she says. She’s living proof that with passion, determination, and the right skills, you can break down any barrier, even one as ingrained as gender stereotypes. As she continues to inspire others to follow in her footsteps, Joyce Nalubowa is not just fixing cars, she is fixing perceptions about what women can achieve.
