By NANCY HANDABILE
Kisemboa
A COMMON adage used by many Zambians “Umwana ashenda atasha nyina uku naya (a child who does not travel thinks the mother’s cooking has the best taste) could be true in some aspect of life.
No one embodies the saying more than Ugandan born George Kabale Kisembo who says: “I love Zambia and consider myself to be more Zambian than Ugandan, “Popularly known as Papa G, the 49 year old has spent 23 years in Zambia carving out his whole life here.
He is the owner of popular night clubs such as Vegas Lounge and Vegas Chilenje He is well known and liked by the many patrons who frequent his clubs.
He is an accomplished business man, owning buses, filling stations and Night clubs, but he shies away from bragging about his achievements instead prefers calling himself a teacher.
He has truly come a long way from the streets of Kampala, where he was born and spent his childhood.
The first born in a family of seven, Mr Kisembo went to KingsCollege Buddo from where he qualified to the highly competitive and prestigious Makerere University in Uganda. He studied Chemistry, specialising in Bio Chemistry and graduated in the year 1985.
As a young lad Pap G was highly active in sports such as cricket and tabletennis; the former being the sport that enticed him to stay in Zambia.
“I was in the cricket national team when in 1985 we came to Zambia for a week long tournament. I fell in love with Zambia and vowed that I would return to this beautiful country.
There were no careers for chemistry graduates at the time and so Papa G started teaching chemistry at a High School in Kenya.
He taught there for four years when he recalled the sweet memories about Zambia and decided to finally come here to settle and quoting his words, “to scout for a job.”
He was offered a job at a secondary school in Kabwe where he taught chemistry for seven years before stepping down.
“I loved teaching but I was always ambitious and motivated to do something new with my life,” he said.
He says the world of business has always interested him thus it was the most natural option for him. He moved to Lusaka in 1997.
“I had been saving up my expatriate earnings and with the little money I had, the first thing I did was go into the transport sector.”
He bought a car and turned it into a taxi and with the profits that he saved earnestly, he managed to buy a small minibus.
“My fleet grew to several buses when I decided to evolve into something else,” he says.
While others would have relaxed with the thought they had arrived at their success destination, Mr Kisembo was not satisfied and hisambition pushed him into working harder.
His hard work did not go unrecognised. He was offered a filling station to run by the then leading oil marketing company British Petroleum (BP).
The filling station he took up has been running in Chilanga in tandem with other filling stations since 1999 to date.
The proud father of two girls is considered a father figure by many,his business ventures are widely respected but mostly for the famous”Kuchi light” as Klub Vegas is popularly referred to.
Klub Vegas in Chilenje is one of Lusaka City’s favorite clubs opened in 2007, with the view to provide good affordable entertainment toordinary Zambians.
Mr Kisembo and his able 30 plus strong team came up with the slogan “Bringing Entertainment to your doorstep. “Many people have passed through the club prompting some patrons from out of town to start asking for it to be taken to their towns.
Klub Vegas Kitwe was officially opened in the year 2010; the club has more than 30 employees. Some people still complained that the enthusiastic businessman was abandoning their doorsteps.
Thus Mr Kisembo took up the Lounge and launched Klub Vegas Lounge in 2011, the club is located in Northmead.
It is definitely more convenient for many patrons.
Honesty is something Mr Kisembo says he holds close to his heart saying a trait of honesty, hard work, and spirituality are a sure time tested recipe for success.
“Even when I was a teacher, I always encouraged my students to workhard and be focused.” Papa G says he believes that recreational facilities are not the problem but the people who misuse them are the ones who give clubs a bad name.
His advice, “if you cannot handle the wine keep away from it. “He further bemoans the trend of underage patrons in clubs. He says sometimes the problem does not lie with the owners or club bouncers but with the parents.
A father to Adyeri, 18, and Nesta, 14, says parents should ensure they know where their children are and also regulate what they are wearing.
“Our club is quite unpopular with youngsters because we are very strict as to who we allow into the clubs.” he says. So how does a club owner ensure discipline in his home?
“The best thing as a parent is to show the outmost love and care and then your children will be disciplined as they do not want to disappoint you,” he says.
His stress on love and care has made many view him as a father figure to many thus earning him the nickname of Papa G.He is always busy juggling his businesses during the day and the clubs at night. For one who is in the business of recreation, how does he relax?
Mr Kisembo says his Sports background makes him a sports fanatic, saying his favorite Soccer teams are Arsenal and the Chipolopolo. In the event of Zambia playing Uganda who would he support?
Without hesitation he says Zambia.why? According to him a person’s nationality is just the place they were born. “Zambia is my home, the people here have been so good to me. I love this country,”he says with a smile.
He also counts Motor Rallying among his favorite sports joking about how he might try it before he gets too old. After spending time with him, one can easily imagine him racing, his highly competitive streak making the thought believable.
He advises people who want to go into business not to be scared to venture into uncharted waters.
Mr Kisembo says that young men should focus on what they are doing, admitting that challenges ill be there citing an example of how difficult it was for him to find people who share the same vision.
The accomplished businessman says this should not dissuade people,
“When you are ambitious, people will find you difficult to work with especially when you demand their outmost input.”
He further advises investors intending to settle in Zambia to respect the local people as well as existing labour laws.
“As a foreigner you have to respect the tradition and values of the people, one must add value to the country they decide to settle in,” he says.
For a man contributing to the employment sector of the country.especially for the marginalised unskilled youths, he is a voice that ought to be listened to.
His love for Sport has benefited youths in Chilenge through his sponsorship of the Chilenge Soccer Academy. The academy which he started sponsoring about two years ago was just recently promoted to Division one.
Thus the team is something he is clearly proud of and has assured that he will be there in the sidelines cheering them on to greater heights.
A great question by philosophers is; what defines a man and his worth? Is it his wealth and success, or how he uses that wealth and success.
The man who moved from his home and the only life he knew to a strange land forging a bond with it more powerful than with his motherland answers.
A truly valuable lesson for youths who are afraid to venture out into the unknown instead holding onto their comfort zones.
Hardwork,coureage, tenacity and thinking outside the box has paid off for Papa G who started with humble beginnings has a high school teach, who has not only managed to create wealth for himself but living his dream life.
Life truly is what you make it!/Times
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