“My entrepreneurial journey began eight years ago, shortly after completing Senior Six. I left Ntungamo for Fort Portal to help my uncle start a business, but the venture never took off. With only Shs40,000 to my name and nowhere to stay, a friend offered me shelter in an abandoned house. He was making liquid soap and encouraged me to learn the skill as a means of survival.
Using the little money I had, I bought ingredients and began experimenting. Within a few months, I was producing liquid soap and packaging it in reused mineral water bottles. I hawked my products around Fort Portal City, determined to make ends meet. When I tried to access financing from a bank, the requirements were discouraging. I later secured a small loan of Shs480,000 from a microfinance institution-far less than I needed-but I worked hard and repaid it faithfully.
My breakthrough came when a friend introduced me to Equity Bank’s Youth Loan. The process was straightforward, and the Relationship Officer guided me patiently. After mobilising a few friends, we received financial literacy training from the bank. With group guarantors, I successfully applied for my first youth loan of Shs2.5m.
That loan changed everything. I increased production, improved packaging, and expanded my market. Soon, I was invited by the Tooro Women’s Group to train them in soap making, which enhanced my visibility. My client base grew rapidly as I began supplying hotels, supermarkets, and other businesses. I hired my first employee-first temporarily, then permanently.
After repaying my first loan, I secured another for Shs4.5m to scale up production. Over time, I have accessed six youth loans ranging from Shs2.5m to Shs5m, and six digital loans between Shs1m and Shs3m. My working capital has since grown from Shs1.5m to Shs40m.
Today, my business, Klean Star Products, operates three branches-in Fort Portal, Kyenjojo, and Mbarara-and serves 11 districts across western Uganda. We’ve diversified our product line to include Jik, body lotion, jelly, shampoo, candles, and bar soap. I now employ eight full-time staff and supply raw materials to other soap makers.
From living in an abandoned house to owning land, a car, and livestock, my life has transformed. Equity Bank believed in me when others didn’t.
Their Youth Loan empowered me to dream bigger-and now I’m working towards turning Klean Star Products into a fully-fledged factory that creates jobs and serves the nation.”