Three years of Dubai savings built a Kampala phone shop—then its stock was seized

Three years of work in Dubai gave Derrick Kamanyi the savings to open a phone business in Kampala. Then Uganda’s tax authority confiscated his phones, taking away the stock he needed to keep trading. According to The Independent Uganda, he restocked and resumed business. Today, his shop in Kyanja competes not just through its prices, but through a daily stream of TikTok videos that puts its shelves in front of potential buyers.

Originally from Kasese in western Uganda, Kamanyi went to Dubai with a purpose: work, save and return with money to start a business. A friend already doing well in phone retail helped shape his choice of trade. Back in Uganda, he put his overseas savings into a shop, entering a market that spans new, refurbished, imported and second-hand devices. The source does not disclose how much he saved or invested.

His route links two economies through a small business rather than a large investment deal. The UAE has long employed Ugandans in domestic work, construction, hospitality, retail and other services. For workers hoping to become business owners at home, earnings abroad are only the starting point. Kamanyi’s approach was to preserve enough of that income to buy stock and establish an operation on his return.

A setback at the heart of the business

The seizure by the Uganda Revenue Authority was his biggest reported setback. The Independent Uganda does not detail the circumstances or outcome of the confiscation, so the account does not establish why the phones were taken. What it describes is the loss of the business’s core asset: merchandise available for sale. Kamanyi subsequently replenished his inventory and continued trading, despite what he describes as excessive taxation and continuing regulatory pressures.

Other pressures are more routine but still important. Imported phones expose traders to exchange-rate changes, which can alter buying costs and squeeze the money left after a sale. Nearby sellers offering similar devices put further pressure on prices. Security also matters: shops risk losing stock to theft, while stolen phones can enter the resale market. Traders rely on vigilance, security measures and informal networks to spot suspicious devices and transactions.

Turning daily videos into shop visits

Kamanyi began promoting products on Instagram in 2019, posting photographs and prices. TikTok later became his main marketing platform. Each morning, he films available devices, explains their features and condition, and shares prices and new arrivals. The aim is to reach people before they walk into a shop, including viewers who do not already follow his account. He considers TikTok his most effective way to attract customers, the newspaper reports.

Kamanyi identifies buying land as his biggest achievement, according to The Independent Uganda.

That purchase gives his business story a longer-term measure beyond daily sales. His marketing, meanwhile, depends on visibility and personal trust rather than expensive conventional advertising. Viewers can ask questions online and then visit the shop to buy. Regular posts keep the stock visible and make the person selling it familiar.

Kamanyi’s next ambition is to become Uganda’s leading phone seller within two years. Verification of his TikTok account is also part of his effort to establish credibility. The next test is whether that online reach can support a stronger retail reputation while he manages sourcing, currency shifts, competition and the regulatory pressures that have already tested his business.