Musician Ykee Benda reflects on his first car, a Toyota Harrier bought from music savings, describing it as both a breakthrough and a costly early decision that taught him hard lessons about money, timing and success in Uganda’s entertainment industry.
For many Ugandan artistes, the first real sign that the hustle is finally paying off is not a mansion or a sold-out concert. It is the first car. The first time you stop jumping on boda bodas. The first-time friends begin taking your calls more seriously. The first time the industry starts treating you differently.
But while many celebrities romanticise that milestone, Ykee Benda, real name Wycliffe Tugume, looks at his first car with a mix of pride and laughter, pressure and pain, and a few lessons he says only money can teach you properly. His first car was a Toyota Harrier, bought from savings made through music. It changed how he moved around Kampala, boosted his confidence, and upgraded his public image overnight.
But even as he now drives a fleet that includes a Mercedes-Benz 4MATIC, a Camaro and a Noah for business trips, he says that Harrier arrived a bit too early in his financial story.
What was your very first car, and how did you get it?
My first car was a Toyota Harrier. I bought it from music savings. I really worked for that money; it was not a gift or anything like that.
Was it your dream car at the time?
Dream car? No. At that time my dream was simpler, just to stop using boda bodas and feel like I had achieved something in life.
Where did you buy it from?
From the bond. And honestly, everything felt like a ceremony back then. I even remember fuelling with Shs100,000 and feeling like a big boss. Today you laugh, but at that time it was serious business.
What was the biggest sacrifice you made for it?
That one is easy, I chose a car over land. Looking back, land is quietly minding its business appreciating… while a car is just there depreciating and asking for fuel. But when you are young and finally get money, you do not think like an accountant; you think like someone who has finally escaped hardship.
Did people believe you when you said you were buying it?
Oh yes. Some people even started respecting me faster. In fact, in music, some people only believe your hustle when they see it parked outside.
Did anything embarrassing or unexpected happen with it?
Yes, unfortunately. I knocked a boda boda man in Muyenga, Kampala. I do not even like revisiting that memory. Whether it was my fault or not, the trauma is shared. And then the car also decided to embarrass me on its own; it broke down at a very critical time during my early concert days. Imagine trying to look like you have arrived… and the car itself has not arrived anywhere.
How did owning it change your image?
It changed everything. In this industry, image is not optional, it is part of the job description. The car gave me confidence, but it also changed how people spoke to me, negotiated with me, even how seriously they took appointments.
Was it more of a status symbol or a work tool?
Both. It was my office, my taxi, and my billboard at the same time. In entertainment, even transport has branding value.
Would you buy that same car again today?
No chance.
Why not?
Because now I know better. That car was expensive for my level at the time. I should have started smaller, built the base, then upgraded later. But when you are young, you do not buy what you can afford, you buy what your dreams are wearing.
What does it represent to you now?
It represents growth. And proof that money from music is real, because some people only believe after seeing four wheels. But more importantly, it reminds me that consistency works.
What did it teach you about success?
To slow down. Honestly, that is it. Sometimes we are so excited to ‘arrive’ that we spend the arrival money before we actually arrive.
Favourite memory in one sentence?
Ah, taking my then-girlfriend on nice dates without boda bodas stress. That feeling was sweet. Very sweet.
Worst moment in it?
The accident. No debate.
How does it compare to what you drive now?
Now I choose cars depending on the mission. I have a Mercedes-Benz 4MATIC, a Camaro, and a Noah for business trips. Back then, it was just one car doing everything, hustle, image, survival, everything. In hindsight, that first Toyota Harrier was not just transport. It was his first taste of arrival and a very expensive lesson that sometimes success needs patience more than parking space.
Who is ykee benda?
Ykee Benda, born Wycliff Tugume, is a Ugandan singer, songwriter and music executive known for blending Afrobeat, RandB and pop influences into mainstream Ugandan music.
He rose to prominence with early hits such as Farmer, Malaika, and Banange, which helped establish him as one of the country’s most consistent contemporary artists. Over the years, he has built a reputation not only as a performer but also as a businessman in the entertainment industry.
Beyond music, Ykee Benda is the founder of Mpaka Records, a label aimed at nurturing new talent and creating structure in Uganda’s evolving music scene.