Ronald Atuhumwize and the making of a footwear business in Kampala

What the report says

The Independent Uganda profiles Ronald Atuhumwize, the Kampala-based founder of Salongo House of Shoes, as an example of how small businesses can grow gradually through street trade, customer relationships and reinvestment. According to the report, Atuhumwize was born in Isingiro District in 1991 and later moved to Kampala, where he began selling goods informally around Qualicel Bus Terminal and Nabugabo Street before focusing on footwear.

The article says his business is now run from Mukwano Arcade on Ben Kiwanuka Street, near the Old Taxi Park and opposite Gazaland, and serves men, women and children as well as wholesale buyers. It describes how he built demand by emphasizing product quality, service and repeat customers rather than competing only on price. The piece also notes that the business faced the familiar pressures of informal trade, including fluctuating sales, weather, theft and other everyday uncertainties.

A key part of the story is the company’s move into social media marketing. The Independent reports that Atuhumwize began using TikTok to display products and attract new buyers, extending the shop’s reach beyond people who physically pass through the arcade. The article presents this as part of a wider shift in Uganda’s small-business economy, where digital platforms are becoming an additional marketplace alongside traditional trading spaces.

The report says Atuhumwize is now thinking about further expansion, including new branches, stronger online ordering and mentoring younger traders. It frames his journey as a broader example of how trust, persistence and small early sales can help build a sustainable business in Kampala.