Welcome back from the Rwenzori Marathon. Was the FOMO as real as it looked on social media?
What is better than seeing a mother give birth along the roadside and naming the baby ‘Marathon’? [Laughs.] But seriously, the vibe was incredible. Ugandans love to dance, and I think I am probably the only Ugandan who can never earn a thing out of life from dancing.
You are tasked with planning the ultimate boys-only safari. Which three MPsare making the cut?
I would take two people; Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa, because I want to understands how he juggles things in Parliament. Then Francis Zaake, just to understand his character and I think hanging out with him would be interesting.
If you had to convince a tourist to visit Uganda using only three words, what would they be?
God’s finest creation!
Which Ugandan tourist attraction have you visited that made you think, ‘How do we have this and the world does not know about it?’
The Rwenzoris, definitely. Anyone who has hiked the Rwenzoris knows there are moments when you stop somewhere and think, ‘There is no other place in the world like this.’
I have travelled, climbed many mountains across the world and been to all the continents. I think there is just no place like the Rwenzoris. There are days you stand there and just look at them in awe. It takes you back to prehistoric earth. You can see parts of the mountain that have probably never been explored or reached. It is like an art piece drawn by the best artist in the world.
Be honest: Which Ugandan tourist attraction is overrated?
I could say Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Bwindi is a great product, but it is also a limited product that has been positioned as our flagship tourism attraction. There are only 29 trackable gorilla families, and each group can only accommodate eight people at a time.
Everybody who comes to Uganda thinks they have to see the gorillas, yet we have so many other attractions that could bring in huge numbers. We need to broaden the way we market Uganda.
Do you ever see a Ugandan X debate and think, ‘These people need jobs’?
Almost every day! You will see someone wake up and create a story about something completely nonsensical, and then people start writing very serious, very good English about it. There are just too many topics where Ugandans are wasting so much time.
What is one thing single people think marriage is about that is completely wrong?
I think single people think marriage is about sex. Sex is just one part of it. Marriage is also about responsibility, and I think responsibility comes ahead of sex. If you are a man who cannot be responsible, even sex will not work. I always tell young people that however beautiful a woman is, she does not need just love. You cannot tell a woman who has a dream she wants to achieve that because you do not have money today, there is no milk and therefore nobody eats. That is also why I delayed marriage. I got married in my 30s because I needed to first fight poverty.
Who should apologise first after an argument: the person who is wrong or the person who wants peace?
The person who wants peace. If the wrong person cannot apologise, then maybe they do not know that they are wrong.
Would you rather have Shs1b today or Shs10m every month for the rest of your life?
Give me the Shs1b. If I put it into even a basic investment like treasury bills and get a minimum of 15 percent, that would give me more than Shs10m. So I will take the billion.
What is one financial lesson you wish every young Ugandan knew?
Money only contributes maybe 15 percent to success. The rest is networks, resilience, disappointments and knowledge. That is why you see people inherit a lot of money and lose it. They assume money is the biggest thing they lack, when actually it is not. I have never been given money or capital by anybody. If I had been given the money, I probably would have lost the plot. I first got the knowledge.
If you want to succeed, number one is skills. I looked for a skill and mine was tourism. Number two is networks. Networks allow you to apply your skills. Money comes third. Once you apply your skills, you earn money. That way, even when the money disappears, you still have your skills.
Are Ugandans actually patriotic, or do we just say we are?
I think there is a section of Ugandans that is patriotic. Ugandans may not always be easy to mobilise around patriotism, but I have seen what happens when people see something good happening for the country.
Take the Rwenzori Marathon. Maybe 10% of people have criticised it, but 90% have jumped on board because they see that it brings people into the country. We are not in an environment where people often see good things happening for Uganda. But when Ugandans see good things consistently, they become proud.
What is one thing you have achieved that you are proud of but rarely talk about?
I have a good level of property investment, but I hardly talk about it. One of the best decisions I ever made in life was buying property when I was young.
What would the 25-year-old Amos think about the man you are today?
That I was just lucky. Most times, people do not see the work behind success. Is it possible to explain to someone what it takes to put together a World Athletics-level marathon like the Rwenzori Marathon?
There are only about 160 World Athletics-level marathons around the world, and only a handful are in Africa. Very few are owned or led by indigenous Africans. So my 25-year-old self would probably look at what I have achieved and think, ‘This guy is just lucky.’
If you could delete one thing from Ugandan culture, what would it be?
The idea that life is supposed to be like instant coffee. Ugandans sometimes think you can do something today and tomorrow it turns into gold. For example. I bought the land for Elephant Plains in 2007. I waited for 10 years before I constructed on it.
The Rwenzori Marathon was an idea that was thought about 15 years ago. It has taken years to become what it is today. I am starting the Mombasa Marathon in 2028. People think that is far away, but 2028 is actually very close. The point is, I have already been thinking about it for years. We need to understand that success takes time. You plant today, you nurture it, and eventually you harvest.
Finally, ugali and nyama choma oba Kikomando?
Nyama choma and ugali, any day, any time! I am a proper East African.