Bryan White on stage before he stealthily escaped from the money-hungry Mbarara revelers. PHOTOS BY FELIX AINEBYOONA
Robert Ngabirano, like many other residents of Nyakayojo division Mbarara municipality woke up early morning to make his way to Kakyeka Stadium. Normally he wakes up at 8am but that Saturday was to be his lucky day.
To Ngabirano, this was the day he was finally going to get capital for his business dreams so he can finally get out of that dreaded ‘unemployed youth’ category.
His anticipated source of income was to be the famed Kampala socialite Brian Kirumira, popularly known as Bryan White.
White had run adverts in local media outlets that on March 10, he was to launch his Bryan White Foundation in Mbarara and therefore called upon residents to attend as he was going to be dishing out money like he usually does in Kampala.
“I have been seeing Bryan white on TV giving out money to people and when I heard that he was coming I thought my dream of starting my own business had come true. I expected to start a poultry project after Bryan’s visit to Mbarara because I thought of getting the start-up capital from here of about shs500,000 and this would be good enough for me to kick start,” the twenty three year-old Ngabirano explains.
However after spending many hours in the scorching sun, enduring the loud music that was played at the event, Ngabirano left exhausted, dehydrated and just as broke as he had come.
But it’s not just Ngabirano, hundreds of Mbarara residents attended the event hoping to get money from the socialite who has been seen in many places splashing out money to people whom he calls the needy. Before the launch, adverts were run in local media outlets calling people to come to Kakyeka stadium and collect money since Bryan White is a man of action who does not promise but rather gives out money instantly. Indeed many heeded to the call.
Although the event was scheduled to start in the afternoon, people started arriving at the stadium as early 9am hoping to strategically place themselves near the stage. They did this in anticipation of catching the money that would rain that evening as promised.
(L-R) Bryan White, King Micheal, Teacher Mpamiire and Weasel.
Before going to Kakyeka, Bryan White paralysed operations at Mbarara regional referral hospital where he paid a visit to the patients. All people getting in and out of the hospital were thoroughly checked as more than 50 expectant mothers at the maternity ward received mama kits, mosquito nets, jerry cans of liquid soap, bars of soap and basins.
On reaching the venue at around midday, Bryan white as usual started with promising to help the people who had immediately started asking for money.
‘’We the youth like to eat fish so we want to fish but these politicians do not give us hooks to fish. Me am here to help you since am a youth like you,’’ Bryan white said while opening the function.
Later different musicians took the stage and entertained the waiting people. Museveni impersonator and comedian, Segujja Mendo was invited to officially launch the foundation and a cake was cut.
As comedians Madrat and Chiko cracked the revelers’ ribs with their jokes, Bryan White sneaked off the stage and was whisked away in a waiting car. Since it was not his official car, many did not realise that Bryan White, who had promised them money, was escaping from them.
On stage: Bryan White, Weasel and Big Eye (Right)
They later realised that the ‘tycoon’ had left after noticing that his security detail was nowhere to be seen. Though they shouted his name, Bryan White never came back to the podium. Dejected and downcast, they walked back home because they could not even afford a boda boda back home. Many had come thinking they would get transport money from Bryan White.
Many were hungry and angry about how Bryan white had organized his function claiming to have only taken a soda or while some had missed since the organisers had little man power that could not reach everybody.
Editah Ahimbisibwe said that because of what they have been watching on TV, she thought she would at least leave the venue with about shs10,000 but unfortunately she left without even shs1000 which was a disappointment.
‘I thought that I would also get some money like the way he has been doing. I thought that maybe I would get something like shs10,000 but I have not even got shs1000,’’ Ms Ahimbisibwe said.
Some of the youth who submitted in their proposals were left wondering what their project proposals and copies of their constitution are going to be doing in his office yet he had not funded any of the proposals at the function.
‘’He asked us for our project proposals, constitution, list of members in our groups but he has not funded any of our proposals from here. How are we going to benefit from our proposals yet he is taking them to Kampala in his office and he will take them abroad and say that he is taking care of people show them our proposals and they give him money yet we are not benefiting from it,’’ Ambassador Micheal a resident of Kisenyi, Kakoba division Mbarara municipality said.
However some were still happy with Bryan White. ‘’The man has given out things and he is better than those who buy us drinks in the bars. We can as well have hope because he has done better than most of our MPs we pray that our leaders can pick a leaf from him’’ Edgar Muhwezi said.