{UAH} FROM GRASS TO GRACE AND BACK TO GRASS
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Select Garments Boss Goes Into Hiding
Photo: Select Garments boss Robert Ahimbisibwe and below A huge billboard outside Forest Mall to advertise Select Garments store
Latest info coming in reveals that flamboyant Select Garments boss Robert Bill Ahimbisibwe has gone into hiding.
Woloxo has it that after the fate of his now defunct chain stores of Select Garments was sealed last week, Ahimbisibwe decided that he couldn't stand the shame anymore.
A family insider revealed that he has vanished and the family is worried of his whereabouts.
"He has kept to himself. It's a worrying situation," a source revealed.
This comes days after his last Select Garments shop at Forest Mall was shut down after he accumulated rent arrears worth millions.
Who Is Robert Ahimbisibwe (Select Garments)?
His story is one of grass to grace and back to grass. It was in 2001, when a young and ambitious Ahimbisibwe began his journey to stardom.
He singlehandedly started from scratch to build one of the biggest fashion stores in Uganda and in the process turned himself into a household name over time.
He started with a boutique at Mutasa Kafeero Plaza where he used to deal in second hand clothes. At the time, he had just sold his Toyota Corolla for a reported Shs7m. Its this money that he used to start business that later expanded and two years later he had a turnover of Shs200m.
By that time, his clientele had expanded to corporates and his marketing was immense. By 2009, Select Garments was the talk of town which forced Ahimbisibwe to expand even bigger. He opened several stores in town.
A few years back, he teamed up with UK based international fashion label, Ramsey Stores to launch a multi-million store at Forest mall. During its launch, the who-in-who in Kampala attended with lots of free food and booze flowing endlessly. Ahimbisibwe had reached the pinnacle.
His Downfall
Reports indicate that the corporate clientele he had cultivated started shunning his products though.
"He used to sell us fake suits bought from Chinese markets at a vey high price," one of his clients told us.
To make matters worse, several competitors entered the market selling better designs and suits at a cheaper price. "He was outmuscled out of the market he thought he had created," a source added.
Bad enough, Ahimbisibwe didn't realise this. Instead he kept spending on posh rides like customised Mercedes Benz and Grand Jeep Cherokee.
He moved residence from Rubaga to a posh storied pad in the affluent environs of Naguru valley just across the road from Kabira Country Club.
In his house, reports indicated that all rooms were fitted with giant plasma TV screens and exotic furniture. The house was estimated to have cost him around Shs800m.
This was on top of hosting parties in town where revellers or anyone who spelt his name would earn himself instant cash.
He sponsored every event/concert in town where he would donate not less than Shs10m. This extravagance, considering his only source of income was selling suits was way beyong his limit.
"He was living beyond his limit," a close pal told us .
And indeed true to this word, creditors started hunting him down for defaulting on loans.
In fact just a few weeks ago as he was leaving singer Juliana Kanyomozi's kid's funeral service at All Saints Nakasero, Ahimbisibwe was apprehended by court brokers for failing to pay a loan of Shs10m. He pleaded and begged until he was let off the hook after he had paid around Shs6m and promising to pay the rest very fast.
Days later, his only store at Forest Mall (the one on Mabirizi Plaza on Kampala road was closed sometime back) was also shut down.
His posh rides have since all been attached due to non payment of several huge loans in banks and money lenders.
Currently, he has been travelling is a Toyota Premio.
Wonder no more then because this could be the last we are seeing of one of the most creative Ugandan entrepreneurs.
He is surely gone from grass to grace and back to grass. Only that this time, it could be catastrophic.
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