Suubi packs first-class degree into trolled metallic suitcase, lands ‘juicy job’

Henry Suubi Kiyimba’s famous metallic suitcase has found a new home at Uganda Baati Ltd after the Makerere University student landed a top job even before formally picking his first-class degree transcripts from the insitution.

The company dealing in manufacturing and supply of building materials, said they were “excited” to have Suubi join their family - as a Trainee Engineer.

Posting on X, formerly Twitter, Uganda Baati said: “From the metallic suitcase to earning a first-class degree in mechanical engineering. Henry Suubi Kiyimba is now part of the Uganda Baati Family!”

READ: Trolled for carrying metallic suitcase, Suubi relishes graduation 4 years later

Suubi, 24, scored a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.47 in Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. He will be among the best graduands at the College of Engineering, Design and Art on February 2 during Makerere’s 74th graduation ceremony.

The academic excellence and walking straight into a waiting job in a country where even highly-educated graduates are wallowing in disillusionment due to job scarcity further turns the corners in Suubi’s life after his fate shrugged off public trolls.

Turning point

In August 2019, Suubi reported to Uganda’s biggest public university as a freshman carrying a metallic suitcase.

A picture of Suubi strolling to University Hall of residence with the metallic suitcase and a huge chequered plastic bag, commonly known as Usofia was posted on social media by a netizen who intended to troll him. His other possession was a backpack.

Suubi was not the first student to report with a metallic suitcase at the hill where unwritten social laws are decisively derisive against humility.

There have been many freshmen before Suubi and many more after him – reporting with similar metallic suitcase that is widely considered for secondary school level.

But for Suubi, the gods at the country’s most prestigious institution of higher learning must have smiled at him.

The photo was first shared on social media by one Emmanuel Aupal, a fellow student at the university who sought to mock him.

Instead, a stream of endless well-wishers came calling with an assortment of offers which turned Suubi’s situation into a blessing in disguise.

Suubi later told the media that the metallic suitcase was empty at the time the photo was taken but he had hoped to pack a few things in it later.

Even if he could not see what he packed, a change of study programme was definitely one. He had been admitted to Makerere to study Bachelor of Science in Economics with Education but now he had a chance to go for his preferred Mechanical Engineering Course on a scholarship.

By the end of his study, he was sure to tuck into that trolled metallic suitcase his first-class degree transcript. And now he has added an appointment letter to boot.

“We are excited to have him join us, and look forward to the valuable contributions he will make to the team,” Uganda Baati posted on X.

“Welcome on board.”

Suubi will be engaged in designing and delivering specialised building solutions using the technologies of “Safbuild”. Uganda Baati defines the technology as world-class pre-engineered steel building solutions that are delivered as a complete solution, easy to assemble on-site with reduced overall cost of construction and project duration.

The fresh engineer will also take charge of Uganda Baati’s “Ultra-Span”, an advanced “engineered solution that is durable, affordable, easy to deliver and assemble on-site”.

He said these solutions are ideal for warehouses, industrial buildings, churches, agricultural buildings, schools, market shades, and practically any kind of residential, commercial, industrial, or institutional building.

Suubi told this publication last week that getting the job was a smooth run given that fate had already smiled at him with his good grades.

“I had an advantage for having interned at the company (Uganda Baati) for two months during my third year of study, so I had a thorough understanding of what they do, their products, their services and their values,” he said.

Having long turned a corner and left trolls in a foggy background, Suubi’s latest ascension of the career rungs is only but a stride away from his past. Like his name Suubi (loosely translated as Hope) suggests, he now hopes to pursue further studies.

The deep-seated lessons for society aside, Suubi’s is the story of a young man who embraced fate and accepted the challenges it lobbed at him.

At the time Suubi was overwhelmed by grace as well-wishers tripped themselves to support him, for many, it could have turned sour. History is dotted with anecdotes of such academics failing to deal with the pressure and ending up down-south.

But Suubi’s derided suitcase and Usofia bag were like shock absorbers that helped him contain it all. Of course, there were many other counsellors in his life, including Vice Chancellor Barnabas Nawangwe, who gave “words of encouragement” he had never heard before.

Prof Nawangwe mentored and encouraged Suubi to stay focused and work hard for his future career.

Grass to grace

The third born of Mr Denis Ssimbwa and Ms Rose Nalwanga, Suubi started his formal education at St Anne's Ggoli Primary School in Mpigi District, where he scored a modest Aggregate 10 in Primary Leaving Examination (PLE).

He went to St Bruno Sserunkuma's Secondary School, Ggoli, for both ordinary and advanced levels, and scored aggregate 25 in Uganda Certification of Education and 17 points in Physics, Economics, and Mathematics (PEM/ICT) at Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education.

Suubi’s dream was to study Mechanical Engineering but he was offered Bsc Education (Economics) on a government scholarship.

Being raised by a single mother who sold pancakes, avocados and sometimes firewood to raise fees for Suubi and his seven siblings, his dream course of engineering looked like a ship that had long sailed into the horizons of the vast sea.

As his name Suubi, which literally means “Hope”, Suubi continued to hold onto the rope, praying to God as well as working so hard so that he could bail out his siblings and mother.

As the public troll turned into light at the end of the tunnel, on August 14, 2019, Joadah Consult, an infrastructure consultancy company, opened wide doors for Suubi.

He was offered full scholarship to study his dream course of Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering provided he qualified to be admitted to the programme.

In addition, a “GoFundMe” fundraising platform for crowdfunding was activated by well-wishers, which allowed sections of the public to clear Suubi’s former school fees arrears amounting to about Shs2 million.

Suubi also received gifts like laptop, phones, clothes, shoes, and beddings, among others, from various well-wishers.

There was also another relief in the family as LetSheGo, a microfinance institution, boosted Suubi’s mother Shs2m and a new income-generating boda boda motorcycle to help her in fulfilling her basic needs.

And now with a job and bigger dreams on his lapels, Suubi has probably turned a corner. It could be a different life for his mother and siblings, too.

Challenges at university

Suubi says he found a hard time differentiating between genuine friendships and those based on popularity as well as handling the pressure that came with having public attention and expectations such as the pressure to conform to certain standards that suit his public image.

Advice to others

 “Your potential knows no boundaries so find your purpose and focus there. I vividly witnessed my mum’s struggles to keep us in school and the fact that there was no safety net in case of failure, I had to give my utmost best.

“Seek guidance in prayer and trust God for He is always in Control. With hard work, patience and a belief in the power of your aspirations, you can turn those dreams into reality one step at a time.” he added.