Fort Portal City — At just 29 years old, Byamukama Abel has built one of the region’s fast-rising home-care manufacturing enterprises. But his journey to founding Klean Star Products began with only UGX 40,000, an abandoned house, and a determination to survive.
“I came to Fort Portal with hopes of helping my uncle start a business, but it never worked out,” Byamukama recounted in an interview. “I was left with only forty thousand shillings and nowhere to stay. A friend gave me shelter in an abandoned house.”
That friend also introduced him to liquid soap making—a skill that would later define his career. “He told me, ‘Abel, learn this. It can help you survive,’” he said.
With his small savings, he bought ingredients and began experimenting until he produced his first batch of liquid soap. He packaged it in used mineral water bottles and moved door-to-door across Fort Portal City hawking his products.
“I tried getting a bank loan, but the requirements were too much for me,” he said. “I eventually got UGX 480,000 from a microfinance, but it was far below what I needed. Still, I worked hard to pay it back.”
A Turning Point With Equity Bank
Everything changed when a friend told him about Equity Bank’s Youth Loan. “That was the breakthrough,” he said. “The officers at Equity Bank didn’t just give me a form—they guided me step by step.”
Byamukama mobilised a group of friends, attended Equity Bank’s Financial Literacy training, and applied for his first youth loan of UGX 2.5 million. “That loan transformed my life,” he said. “I increased production, improved branding, and finally met the standards that big clients wanted.”
His visibility grew after he was invited by the Tooro Women’s Group to train them in liquid soap making. Soon, he was supplying supermarkets, hotels, and institutions across the region. He hired his first employee—initially temporary, and eventually permanent.
After repaying the initial loan, he secured a second one of UGX 4.5 million and continued scaling. To date, he has accessed six youth loans ranging from UGX 2.5 million to 5 million, and six digital loans between UGX 1 million and 3 million. “My capital grew from 1.5 million to 40 million,” he said proudly.
A Growing Regional Brand
Klean Star Products now operates three branches—in Fort Portal (head office), Kyenjojo, and Mbarara. The company has expanded its product range to include Jik, body lotions, jellies, candles, shampoo, bar soap, and raw materials for other manufacturers.
“We now supply 11 districts,” Byamukama said. “Hotels, supermarkets, bakeries, factories—you name it. And I employ eight full-time staff.”
His personal life has also transformed. He has invested in 10 cows in Ntungamo, bought land near the highway, acquired a car and motorbike, and moved into a decent home. “From living in an abandoned building, I can now afford a comfortable life,” he said.
Byamukama says Equity Bank’s Youth Loan program filled the biggest gap for young entrepreneurs—access to affordable capital. “Equity Bank believed in me when others didn’t,” he emphasized. “Their youth loan product turned my dreams into reality.”
His vision is to turn Klean Star Products into a fully-fledged factory that employs many more young people and distributes products across East Africa. “I am proud to be a role model in my village,” he said. “And I will always be grateful to Equity Bank for empowering young entrepreneurs like me.”