Ugandan Abbey Tumusiime on How He Started Telling Dad Jokes in Today’s “Doing Life With…”

Doing Life With… is a BellaNaija Features series that showcases how people live, work, travel, care for their families and… everything in between. We are documenting the lives of all people and ensuring everyone is well-represented at BN.

Did you miss last week’s conversation with Seye Dele? You can catch up here. 

This week, we’re doing life with Abbey Tumusiime, a Ugandan content creator. He gives us a glimpse into his life. Enjoy!

Hey Abbey, how is it going?

All is good. We are trying to outsmart the system.

Haha, indeed. Give us a glimpse into your background

I’m from Uganda, from the Basoga tribe. I grew up in a small village in Iganga, where I spent most of my childhood with both of my parents. I moved to Jinja, in a town called Bugembe, and I’ve been living there for almost six years. I’m the youngest of my parents’ three children, all of whom are boys. We didn’t have everything we desired or admired as a family, but my parents always emphasized the importance of finding joy from within. They taught us that happiness comes from essential things like family harmony, good health, and other seemingly small but significant factors.

Despite being boys, my brothers and I were taught the value of hard work by sharing household chores equally, including tasks traditionally considered for females in our culture, like cooking and cleaning. I attended Iganga Boys’ Primary School for my primary education and later completed my Ordinary Level Certificate at Busoga College Mwiri. I then obtained my Advanced Level Certificate at MM College Wairaka, where I studied Literature, Divinity, and History. This eventually led me to pursue a degree in Journalism at Uganda Christian University in Mukono. Interestingly, my parents always envisioned a career for me in engineering or law, but life had other plans for me.

I have fond memories of my dad introducing us to a computer (desktop) at a young age, hoping that we would learn to use it for educational purposes. However, my brothers and I primarily used it for games and movies, much to his dismay. I felt inspired to learn things that would make my dad proud, as I witnessed how his happiness resonated throughout our home. This led me to start editing videos, initially using Windows Movie Maker. Over the years, I progressed to using Microsoft Photos, and now I work with more advanced software like Premiere Pro. I currently edit videos, and I attribute this skill to the encouragement and support of my parents. There’s so much more that has shaped my journey, and I could spend hours talking about it.

Tell me about your content creation and comedy journey

My journey as a creator began at the age of seven when I started taking photos with my parents’ phone, transferring them to a computer, and using Windows Movie Maker to create stories or short movies. As I grew older, I shifted my focus to YouTube, where I would create dance videos and upload them. However, due to illness and feeling demotivated, I took a break from creating for about a year. It wasn’t until a friend, Owen, encouraged me to start creating again, that I began making skits with him, which I uploaded to TikTok and Instagram. Despite my efforts, success seemed out of reach, so I took a break and focused on shooting and editing videos for my friends, Cophi and Amon. Earlier this year, Cophi convinced me to get back into creating videos, even if they were simple. This led to the creation of “Dad Jokes with Amon,” which surprisingly went viral worldwide.

Your dad jokes are always funny. How do you make your videos? 

Thanks for appreciating. I start with brainstorming alongside my creative team and manager. We collectively generate ideas, from the concept of the Dad Joke to the editing, setting, and various other details. We then schedule specific days to shoot a certain number of jokes. As a perfectionist, I take charge of editing and directing the videos myself, unless directed otherwise. Before posting, the team reviews the videos. If they don’t find it humorous, we put it on the waiting list for adjustments instead of discarding it. We believe that all jokes can be funny if executed correctly. The shooting process takes around 8 hours a day, and the duration for editing depends on the content plan devised by my team, but it usually doesn’t take long.

Apart from making jokes and “geniusing” on social media, tell us about your life outside content creation

I am a web developer, running a company called TRilz Media. While my company does offer social media marketing services, my main focus is on web development. I am also a student of Journalism at Uganda Christian University. I sometimes engage in video editing and related tasks. I work with a team of creatives, assisting with editing, and sometimes with shooting and directing.

“I think this guy is a genius” and “By the way” are your signature tones, how did these two phrases come about?

“I think this guy is a genius” is an old meme that didn’t get people’s attention. I found it on a page that focuses on memes and realised that if I used it in my videos, it’d be of great impact. It sounded funny the moment I heard it. Then, “By The Way” is an intentional statement in a whisper to show sarcasm or satire. If you listen closely, you’ll feel that. Then there’s a phrase that has been used to identify me everywhere I go – “The System is Rigged”.  This is a statement we just one time mentioned and realised it got people’s attention. So we went ahead with it.

What are the challenges you’ve encountered in your journey so far 

Depression. This hits all the time and I think is the only thing I’m scared of facing. Waking up at hours when everyone’s asleep, only to be hit by a pound of depression.

Hmmn. How do you deal with this?

I have people I always run to. I’ll be real with you, when I face a challenge and successfully solve it or find a solution, it stops feeling like a challenge. As a result, I tend to forget about it because I no longer see it as a threat.

What about a moment when you felt so proud of yourself?

There are many moments I’ve felt proud of myself but those that stand out are when my loved ones are actually celebrating my wins. I’ve grown up with people who believe that I can be so great. But looking at it from my perspective, my consistency and determination make me proud of myself always.

What’s a typical day in your life?

My day starts at 5 am when I have a phone call with my team lead or manager to discuss the plan for the day and what content creation tasks are pending. We set a target for the day, which sometimes makes me wonder why my manager is awake so early. Then I attend school lectures and participate in group discussions. During breaks, I check on the performance of my content and make sure to post regularly. In the afternoon, I often shoot content for others. In the late evening, I spend time going through comments on my content and gathering feedback. I reply to as many comments as I can. Finally, I end my day by editing and perfecting any pending projects on my computer.

What’s that unconventional thought about the world that you think people won’t agree with?

I believe that failure is not only inevitable but should be celebrated as an essential part of personal and professional growth. While society often views failure negatively, I see it as a crucial learning experience. Throughout my life, I have faced several setbacks that initially felt devastating. However, each failure taught me valuable lessons, provided opportunities for self-improvement, and ultimately led me to greater success.

Love it for you! If you could introduce anyone to Uganda, where would you take them and what Ugandan meal would you serve?

The first place I’d take someone to in Uganda is Jinja. The Ugandan meal I’d recommend is the Rolex. It isn’t a traditional meal, but we consider it a national meal. One that unites all tribes and cultures in the country.

Let’s say you have a special power to change the world with a joke, which joke will you tell?

How come it’s a secret if you know it’s a secret? The system is rigged really.

Three fun facts about Uganda everyone must know about?

Food, hospitality, beautiful women.

Three words that best describe you? 

God fearing, humble, blessed. (I wish you asked for ten, haha).

Thank you for being on Doing Life With…, Abbey

Thank you for having me.

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Many thanks to Abbey Tumusiime for having this conversation with us and answering all our questions – and swiftly too, we must add.

Do you love this content, have any feedback for us or want to be a BellaNaija Features contributor? We’d love to read from you. Shoot us an email: [email protected]. Join us on Saturday for the next episode!