Siblings into tourism and hospitality
What you need to know:
- Saleh Naminya a retired teacher is now in tour and travel industry, Saleh is an entrepreneur and CEO of Casa Uganda Safaris and Casa Lodges. Sarah Kadama also works in the housekeeping department at Casa Lodges. They tell Olivier Mukaaya their story.
SALEH
How would you describe Sarah?
Sarah is selfless, kind but also very principled. She loves her space mostly when she needs it but she respects other people.
Have you ever teamed up with her for a fight?
Yes ,I think all our childhood we fought when other children when they wanted to beat me. I also remember we would wake up to fight and after go to sleep.
What is she scared of the most?
An uncertain future. Sometimes I tell her some of my plans and she gets so scared because she is uncertain of the future.
What’s the craziest thing she did as a child?
I think teaming up with our cousin to fight me. Imagine two people ganging up on you to fight you and they bring you down.
What is her nickname?
We used to call her Sarah Muto because among our siblings one of our half sisters is also Sarah.
What is your earliest memory of her?
Waking up to go to school, returning home and doing most of the things together.
What do you like about her?
She is selfless and has always been there for me.
Are you closer now or when you were younger?
We are closer now than when we were growing up. This is because we work together and do everything together.
Describe the last thing you did together?
Asking her to come join me in the tourism business to help me run the company. This has helped her to discover her passion for tourism. She has managed to start and run her own business.
What was your favourite game when you were young?
Timbe baddo (hide and seek) .
Do you complement each other in any way?
Yes, before she joined me in business I always felt something was amiss. I used to wake up, check on the rooms, and decor. Nowadays, I can take even a week without checking the rooms because she is in charge and she has a taste for interior design while my taste is in artistic design. Usually, I do the hardware and she does the software in design.
Who is more into tourism?
I am. My sister is more into accommodation, housekeeping and crafts but not travel.
Have you ever engaged in any argument with your sister?
We have not engaged in any since we started working together . We have learnt to agree and disagree and we respect each other’s opinion.
If you got a call that your sister was in jail, what would be the first crime that comes to your mind?
I do not know because she is not aggressive even when she is pushed to the wall.
What are your favourite childhood memories together?
Travelling to the village to see our grandmother.
SARAH
How could you describe Saleh?
He is my brother, friend and like a father figure.
Have you ever teamed up with your brother to fight someone?
Yes, in our childhood and I was always the victim because I was small.
What is he scared of the most?
Losing his family, because it is more important to him than anything else. He says money can go but family comes first.
What is the craziest thing he did as a child?
Making the bedroom dirty. We were three children at home who shared a bedroom ( two girls and him). Girls were responsible for cleaning and making the beds but he used to come in clutter the room as he looked for his football uniform.
His childhood nickname?
Machafu because of the football uniforms back then.
What is your earliest memory of him?
He needed tuition to get into the university but it was so hard .
What do you like about him?
I love that he accepts me and other people.
Are you close now or when you were still young?
We are closer now than we were then. Back then we used to fight a lot . Time came when he did not want to play with me because I was troublesome.
Describe the last thing you did with brother?
We went as a family to Murchison Falls after Christmas.
What was your favourite childhood game?
Timbe baddo (hide and seek).
Do you feel that you complement each other in any way?
Yes, in our love for design.
Which one of you is more in tourism than the other?
My brother. I did a tourism course many years ago but never practiced it.
How often do you argue with your brother?
We normally do not argue .
If you got a call that your brother was in jail, what would be the first crime that comes to your mind?
He trusts people too much and they often let him down.
What can you do that he can’t do?
I am a good cook.
Favourite childhood memory is...
Going to our father’s workshop over the weekends. He used make us sit on top of the clients’ cars and take photos of us.