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He prides himself in fixing Mercedes cars
Mathew Mukasa says the use of technology has helped him keep ahead of competitors. PHOTO BY EDGAR R. BATTE
During the two decades that Mathew Mukasa has done mechanical work, he has learnt a lot but to him, learning is a continuous journey. His choice to pursue a diploma in Motor Vehicle Technical work was inspired by the people he had interacted with right from childhood.
His elder brother was a mechanical engineer and so was his uncle and whenever the two were at work, he was close by and attentive to learn a thing or two about fixing cars.
Within two weeks of interaction with the mechanics, he could ably wire a car. He did not see a need to apply for any other job because his passion was to not only become a mechanic, but also start his own garage.
From his brother, he learnt computerised processes of fixing cars and from his uncle, he was introduced to the finer details of Mercedes Benz cars since there were some available for hire, and also the mechanical work involved in fixing them.
Education
As such, the certificate he pursued at St Joseph’s Technical Institute in Kisubi was helpful to equip Mukasa with formal, theoretical and practical education to fortify his skill set. He went on to pursue a diploma in Mechanical and Production Engineering at Kyambogo University. When he graduated, he felt a hunger to learn even more.
The opportunity to acquire more knowledge came his way through a friend who had just returned from the United Kingdom (UK), where he worked for Bosch, one of the world’s leading providers of cordless and corded power tools, tool accessories and measuring tools.
The returnee had worked in the motor vehicle section and was able to open a garage in Lugala, near Kampala. “He specialised in making car keys, of particularly Volkswagen (VW) as well as programming cars and I was interested in learning the process.
I applied for a job at his garage and was employed. During times when I was free, I spared time to do more research on programming and fixing cars,” Mukasa says.
The internet proved a rich resource when it came to finding common problems identified with Benzes and so for new findings on the different kinds Mercedez Benz cars.
The research, from car websites and the Youtube visual channel, also opened his mind to the tool kits he needed to acquire. He also started making contact within international networks where he continues to learn the new modalities and innovation in the brand of Mercedes Benz.
Choosing a niche
As he worked at his friend’s garage in Lugala, he began to visualise his dream of starting a motor vehicle garage that would specialise in Mercedes Benz cars, banking on the knowledge he had received thus far.
As he contemplated starting a garage, a driver who had lost his keys to a BMW 2016 model approached him in quest of assistance to get replacements. Mukasa went on to patiently do research on the particular car model.
It was after inquiries from fellow mechanics and engineers within the global networks that he got a solution on how to programme a key that would help his client. When he successfully fixed the problem, he felt encouraged enough to start a company in 2016. Auto Doctor Limited in Lubaga, Kampala, was born. It deals in mainly Mercedes Benz cars but also works on other cars from Europe and Japan.
Mukasa says his big commercial earnings are from programming cars on the computer and making key replacements.
The other common issues presented at the garage are brocket shock absorbers, which the mechanic says are a result of potholes on the roads that end up affecting the vehicle’s suspension ability.
“But also, loss of shock absorbers is dependent on the way one drives and handles their car. If you are in the habit of sharing your car, you are never sure about the way the other person drivers it. Careful drivers rarely
such challenges,” he further explains.
When cars are delivered to the garage, Mukasa checks them using computerised tools which he argues are precise in pointing out several issues. “The gadgets we use are quicker and minimise guess work and save a lot of time. Technology has helped ease mechanical work.
Before, mechanical work was more of guess work but not anymore,” he further explains.
The cost
The computerised equipment is expensive and as technology often changes, so does it require a mechanic to keep up to date. To that, Mathew Mukasa, a mechanic, says constant research in crucial, especially owing to the fact that drivers present with different car models and types. He has so far invested Shs20m in diagnosis equipment and given that they are computerised, he needs full time Wi-Fi to enable him update programmes and do research. For spare parts and tools, he collaborates with his brother in the UK to ship genuine equipment which, he says, has earned him credibility with clients.
