Magumba’s story began in 2014, inspired by his late father, Sulaiman Mulumba, a successful fish exporter. Photo/Courtesy
As I step into Musa Magumba’s compound in Mukono District, I am met by the warm aroma of baked goods and a flurry of purposeful activity.
Under a tent, five women are carefully shaping cookie dough, while another group huddles over a large saucepan of sizzling doughnuts. Their hands move with confidence, evidence of the skills they have gained here. These women and girls are part of a growing number who come to Magumba to learn baking.
While many are from the neighbourhood, others invite him to their communities to teach them how to make cakes, cookies, doughnuts, and buns. Magumba’s story began in 2014, inspired by his late father, Sulaiman Mulumba, a successful fish exporter.
“I admired how he turned perishable fish into a long-lasting item and used the earnings to support our family and build a home,” he recalls.
His father’s preservation methods, such as sun-drying, smoking with modern stoves, salting, and packaging, left a lasting impression. That influence led Magumba to pursue food processing, particularly baking, as a vehicle for empowerment.
To sharpen his skills, he trained at Kyambogo University’s School of Vocational Studies and Sesaco. But his journey truly took off when a family member lent him Shs300,000. With it, he bought his first batch of ingredients; wheat, yeast, margarine, and eggs.
Starting small
From the start, the road was bumpy. “As a man in a field seen as feminine, I faced public judgment,” he shares. “But I was determined to succeed and to uplift others.”
Another early hurdle was marketing. Excitement led him to bake in large quantities without a clear customer base.
“I ended up with unsold stock despite investing all my capital,” he says. Repaying the loan became a challenge, but his generous relative allowed him to repay only half the amount. Gradually, things picked up.
Neighbours became his first customers. Prices were carefully set: Shs50,000 for a family cake, Shs2,000 for a sachet of buns, and Shs10,000 for a tin of cookies. He conducted research at village shops, Mukono supermarkets, and ingredient markets in Kikuubo to determine fair prices. Client feedback taught him important lessons. “I learnt that sugar preferences vary, and that some customers prefer crunchier cookies. These insights helped me improve,” he says.
Today, Magumba markets his products through WhatsApp and referrals, emphasising the importance of relationships in business, a lesson he credits to his father.
To date, 30 women have completed the training, and nine have launched their baking businesses. PHOTOS/JOAN SALMON
Skilling for sustainability
As his baking business grew, so did his desire to share what he had learnt. That is how his training arm began.
“Training has not only been a way to give back but also a means to improve livelihoods,” he says.
His training courses last a month and cost Shs750,000, which is all inclusive.
However, not everyone can afford this. “During school holidays, parents and even teenage mothers ask me to train their children but struggle to pay the fees,” he explains. In such cases, he charges Shs300,000 and asks them to bring their ingredients. “It barely leaves me with earnings, but I cannot turn them away.”
Partnering for greater impact
In April 2024, Magumba’s persistence bore fruit when he was invited to volunteer with the Gabula Royal Foundation, which focuses on empowering girls and women in Busoga. So far, he has conducted five training sessions through the foundation.
“The foundation identifies women in need and brings them to a central location where I train them in baking and cooking,” he says.
In a region grappling with high poverty and teenage pregnancies, the training equips women with practical skills to sustain their families.
To date, 30 women have completed the training, and nine have launched their baking businesses. For others, he encourages group businesses to ease start-up pressures.
When trainees graduate, the foundation sometimes commissions Magumba to construct baking kitchens for them. These kitchens start at Shs3m, covering both materials and his labour. Looking back, he wishes he had started the empowerment initiative earlier.
“While I am grateful for the lives I have helped transform, starting sooner would have multiplied the impact,” he reflects.
What they say
“There were about 60 people in our class, but only three of us remained at the barracks to bake. We make mandazi, bread, doughnuts, and ‘daddies’. Depending on the effort one puts in, we earn between Shs20,000 and Shs50,000 a week. We also save Shs70,000 monthly, which helped us buy a dough mixer at Shs2.73m. Before I met Magumba, I depended on farming and my husband’s support. Now, I contribute significantly to household expenses,” says Farida Kabugho, UPDF Second Division barracks.
“I learnt baking under the Gabula Foundation thanks to Magumba. Our class had 15 people. I teamed up with a classmate and built a kitchen at home. We used the foundation’s machines initially, then saved Shs130,000 monthly for 18 months to buy our own dough mixer and bread proofer. We are now focused on producing buns, doughnuts, and ‘daddies’, and we continue to save for future expansion,” says Hope Nansumbi, Kamuli District.
