Overview:
From a humble beginning since he commenced his golf career as a caddie in 2017, Andrew Ssekibejja has risen in stature, confidence, composure and skills to join the elite class of the prestigious Uganda Golf Open champions.
Many decisions in life make or break humanity for the justified right cause.
The power of key human decisions (right or wrong) emanates from wise counsel, prevailing situations at hand and sheer luck, amid other factors at play.
Andrew Ssekibejja, the newly crowned Tusker Malt Uganda Golf Amateur open 2022 champion has a booklet of experiences to tell home.
First is that bold decision in December 2017 that he took to leave football and join golf, moreover as a caddie.
Thus far, the aggressive handicap four golfer has no regrets whatsoever.
The artisan golfer at Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort and Spa in Kigo, Wakiso district posted a total of 295 gross to overcome a big field of golfers from Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Ethiopia, South Africa and Japan.
From a humble beginning since he commenced his golf career as a caddie, Ssekibejja has risen in stature, confidence, composure and skills to join the elite class of the prestigious Uganda Golf Open champions.
Before being associated with the golfing cluster, Ssekibejja was a football player.
He was that solid defender, a center half whose 6 feet height tormented many forwards especially in school football.
“I made the decision to quit football and become a caddie at Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort and Spa because I felt I wanted a fresh challenge in life. I was in S6 vacation and also needed to earn a penny, however little to avoid overdependence on my parents” he recalls.
Ssekibejja has followed to the advice of my nephew Patrick Male Ssemagulu, who worked at Serena course as a starter.
My nephew (Ssemagulu) alerted me that Serena was receiving applications for Golf caddies. It is one job I had never thought of doing. I even knew nothing about golf, apart from football. I followed his advice and applied. Good enough, we were shortlisted (8 of us). We were called for the final interviews. I had never done any interview in life but I told the panel, all through my life, I have been in sports as a footballer and I will manage the job. Four of us were successful and given the job. We were given attires (uniform and boots). For three months, we did not earn any money but only given breakfast and lunch. I kept the faith and today, I am a national champion.
Andrew Ssekibejja, 2022 Tusker Malt Uganda Golf Amateurs Open champion
Constant Training:
Life as a caddie exposed Ssekibejja to many new opportunities; including meeting new members, full-time access to the course facilities and the chance to earn some money.
“Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort and Spa is a good platform to help caddies develop. We always have an official day of training (Monday). We were given balls drilled from the lake by divers and I kept training with then the in-house professional Fred Wanzala, Boniface Ssimwa (the current in-house pro) and Flavia Namakula. I would do rounds, practice putting and the range every time I was free” he adds.
After several internal tournaments organized at the club, Ssekibejja impressed and was accorded handicap 18.
In 2019, he earned a wild-card invitation among the three artisans to play at the national open hosted at Serena.
During that very tournament, he played off handicap 9 and was among the nett top performers.
COVID-19 setback:
As the Global COVID-19 pandemic engulfed the world during the early 2020, golf and hotel business was struck hard.
Management at Serena laid off all the workers, Ssekibejja inclusive and he had to remain home, just like many other Ugandans.
With no work on the golf course and hotel, his salary was slashed as the dark days of life called in.
Perhaps, like fate would dictate, Ssekibejja was among the 5 artisans called back to do maintenance work on the course with half payments done.
“I was lucky that after three weeks into the lockdown, I was called back for work with some other few workers so that we could do some maintenance work on the course. The payment was half but it was good enough. Still, I managed to squeeze in a few minutes to putt and drive, thus further improving” he recalls.
Towards the end of 2020, he also played at the Uganda Open played in Kampala (Uganda Golf Club) and also took part in the 2021 edition hosted at Entebbe club.
The 2022 edition was his fourth time at the national open during an edition where he was flawless throughout the four rounds; scoring 71, 76, 75 and 73 in four rounds for a total of 295 gross.
Ssekibejja Humble Background:
Ssekibejja was born on 22nd August 1995 to Christopher Ssegawa and Proscovia Nakate in Kawuku – Kisubi off the Kampala – Entebbe Highway.
He is the second born child in the family of six; a muganda who hails from the Nkima (Monkey) clan.
Education:
Ssekibejja commenced his elementary education at Ambassador Primary school in Kawuku until primary four when his grand-mother Agatha Naggawa passed on.
He shifted base to Bubeke Primary school in Kalangala district (a Lake Victoria Island) for P5 to P7 classes, under the education bursary scheme.
In Kalangala, he was staying with his auntie; Janet Nsangi.
He was admitted at Sserwanga Lwanga Secondary School for Ordinary and Advanced Level of education.
At Sserwanga Lwanga SS, his rich football talent enabled him walk to the school football team straight away after the sports teacher Patrick Walubi spotted him.
“I was so talented that I managed to make it to the school team while in S.1. I played until S.6 although my parents were against me to play football since they wanted maximum concentration at school” Ssekibejja remarks.
Weeks after sitting the S6 examinations, he left Kalangala and returned to Kawuku to live with his biological parents.
One evening while he was at their family home in Kawuku, he received a call from a nephew, Ssemagulu who asked him to join him in Kigo.
Ssemagulu was already working at Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort and Spa club as a starter.
When Serena needed more caddies; he was applied, sieved through the grueling application process that entailed interviews and was among the four successful golf caddies who made the grade.
“After I got the job at Serena, the then caddy master Moses Rugira took us through the orientation. We worked for three months without pay (with breakfast and lunch) before we were fully employed” he recalls.
Among his first bosses he caddied for is Innocent Kihika, the former president of Uganda Golf Union (UGU).
Kihika loved his humility and often encouraged him to play the game.
He has also caddied for the Serena Directors Kartik and Suresh Patel, among others.
To win the 2022 Tusker Malt Uganda Golf Amateur open, Ssekibejja was caddied by Emmanuel Ssebatta.
His golf kit was a collection of different clubs.
It constituted of the Cleveland Launcher 2022 Driver, Callaway Apex Iron, Laser Titlest Voker Design, C-Groove Putter (By Adams) and the Hybrid Ping G-30, among other irons.
His best shot as a golfer the approach off the fairway to the greens.
Role models:
Locally, Ssekibejja was inspired by the character and charisma of professional golfer Denis Anguyo.
Internationally, he yearns to play like American professional golfer Dustin Hunter Johnson and Australian professional Min Woo Lee.
On any given day, he prefers a well cooked meal of Rice, Matooke, fresh fish and juice.
The Range Rover Old model car is his dream car, with the Samsung model phone brand is pick for the cell-phone.
He boldly admits that he is not in a hurry to turn professional.
“I am still in consultation with management on the next step forward where to turn professional or not. I also believe I have to do a lot more practice and perfect every aspect of my job before crossing over to the paid cluster of golfers” he says.
Ssekibejja’s humble ascendance points to the steps that successful personalities follow in life.
Detailed Profile:
- Full Names: Andrew Ssekibejja
- Nick-Name: Andy
- Date of Birth: 22nd August 1995
- Parents: Christopher Ssegawa & Proscovia Nakate
- Place of Birth: Kawuku – Kisubi, Katabi Town Council – Wakiso District
- Current Residence: Kigo
- Tribe: Muganda
- Clan: Nkima
- Education: Ambassador Primary school, Kawuku (P1-P4), Bubeke Primary school in Kalangala district (P5 – P7), Sserwanga Lwanga Secondary School (O&A Level)
- Other sports played: Football (Central Defender)
Golf Career:
- Started as caddie in 2017 with handicap 18
- Current Handicap: +4
- Played four Tusker Malt Uganda Golf Amateur Opens (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022)
- Won the 2022 Tusker Malt Uganda Golf Amateur Open
- Best Golf Shot: Approach with Iron
- Current Caddie: Emmanuel Ssebatta
- Current Golf Kit: Cleveland Launcher 2022 Driver, Callaway Apex Iron, Laser Titlest Voker Design, C-Groove Putter (By Adams) and the Hybrid Ping G-30, among other irons.
- Role models: Denis Anguyo (Local based professional), Pros Dustin Hunter Johnson and Min Woo Lee (International professionals)
- Best Dish: Rice, Matooke, fresh fish and juice.
- Dream Car: Range Rover Old model
- Best Phone: Samsung model
