I planned four years before retirement

Wilfred Kantu Rwakijuma, 73, is always busy at his home in Rwengoma B2 Cell in Fort Portal city. He spends the bulk of his day supervising workers constructing his rental houses.

Rwakijuma,  a retired head teacher, invested part of the retirement package and other savings in real estate and agriculture because they are a long-term investment that generate some earnings.
He reveals that he started preparing for his retirement with only four years to the end of his tenure in active service.

“During our time, there was poor pay. Salary would not sustain one’s demands,” Rwakijuma recalls.

Four years before he left work, Rwakijuma attended a conference presided over by Emmanuel  Karoro, an educationist, in Bushenyi District. “The lecture was about how to prepare for retirement,” he says.

From that day, he started preparing for retirement and among the things he did was to buy land, plant eucalyptus trees and tea, among other projects.

“Retirement is mandatory for every civil servant. Six months to retirement I received alerts about my pay slips. I  started feeling that change was coming for me, including an end to receiving salary,” he explains.

Preparation
Rwakijuma,  started out as a  Grade II teacher for primary school in 1970, his salary was Shs300. After taxes he  took home Shs250 and he saved Shs50 which he invested in buying land.
After attending a lecture, he requested for a transfer to work near his home for proper planning. He worked hard to ensure his retirement plans would come to fruition.

“During the lecture, we were advised that as we plan for retirement one can plant eucalyptus and fruit trees, buy land or build rental houses. I requested for the transfer,”  Rwakijuma, says
He says he was transferred from Muntuyera High School, Kitunga in Ntungamo District to Kyenjojo Secondary School in Kyenjojo in 2004.

He bought a piece of land in Kyenjojo District where he has built a house, planted eucalyptus trees and tea.
“When I retired in December 2009, many people approached me advising me to establish a school. I could not because I yearned to change profession and engage in other enterprises. I settled for agriculture and real estate,” Rwakijuma says.

He adds that he used part of his retirement package from the government to construct one of his storeyed rental buildings near his home in Fort Portal.

Advice
Rwakijuma suggests  that a few years before retirement, work nearer to home to have the opportunity to monitor your investments and get used to the home environment.

“When you retire while still working faraway, it is hard to monitor your investments,” he says
He says all people in office need to know that retirement is mandatory for everyone and avoid spending money on things that do not make profits.

“I have seen people who have nowhere to go after retiring. For example, they do not have a home while others get excited about the retirement package which is never enough,” he says.

Also, he advises employers to treat their employees well because in retirement those people will be your helpers. Rwakijuma is irked by people who  embezzle funds to facilitate their retirement, because it is bad.

Activities
In his retirement, Rwakijuma  was appointed chairman board of governors Canon Apollo Core PTC in Kabarole District, vice chairman board Kahinju SS, and chairman school management committee Buhinga Primary. Rwakijuma’s typical day begins with a prayer with his family at 7am. Then he  joins his workers at the construction site. He takes breakfast at 10am before attending to other activities around the home until evening. 

“When I go to bed, I start thinking about what to do the next day,” he concludes.

Background
• In 1980, he was at Kabarole Primary School and three years later, he did a Bachelor of Arts in Education at Makerere University.
• From 1987 to 1994 he was head teacher at Maddox Secondary School in Kyenjojo District and later transferred to Mpanga SS for eight years in Fort Portal. In 2002, he moved to Muntuyera High School Kitunga in Ntungamo District until 2004.
• He was again transferred to Kyenjojo SS in Kyenjojo District for one year and later to Nyakasura School in Fort Portal up to December 2009 when he retired.