Owning a weighing scale has become a form of employment inside Makerere University as students desire to know their weight.

The weighing scale business is common around the university campus with young boys positioning themselves around strategic points. These points are typically busy entry and exit points where they expect many pedestrians to pass on their way to and from campus.

Boys carrying weighing scales can be seen near the three major gates of the university and at the entrance to the halls of residence.

Allan Karimu (not real name), one of the boys owning a scale says he earns up to ten thousand shillings a day, which he uses to pay tuition at school.

"I charge 200 shillings per person and sometimes I go home with 5,000 or 10,000 shillings per day depending on the students’ mood and the weather," he says.

He saves the money through his mother, and then uses it later for school fees payment. The young boy is in primary five at Kasubi Modern School. During school time, he begins work at 5pm and in holidays he begins as early as 8am.

Bright Nakidde, a student of Law says she loves measuring her weight because it helps her keep in shape. “When I find am over weight I work out to decrease, I usually do this once in a week,” she says.

Isaac Kityo, who declines to reveal his age but appears to be about 18, says owning a weighing scale is a source of livelihood. "I am happy to be in this business because I get a living. Ever since I left school this has been the only job I have been able to do,” he explains.

Kityo started the business back in 2015 when he was employed by a friend to work for him. But he managed to buy his own weighing scale in 2017 through his savings. He further explains that he has earned a lot from the business and he supports his single mother and two other siblings.

Some students do the weighing just to support the children in the business as Nabasa Caroline, a student from the School of Education, reveals: "I do measure my weight just out of pity, because most times these kids have no money and it’s the only business they can do.”

Another boy who declines to mention his name and age says he finds some challenges like bullying from students, bad weather, strikes and competition. He however adds that these do not stop him from moving on. He also says that he has been in the business for five years and thanks all students and people that have supported him.