Twins festival: Meet the most admired twins in Mbale's politics

PIC: Swaliki Masokoyi Waswa and Hussein Matanda Kato

Born to Hassan Masokoyi Salongo and Safiyati Malongo Nalongo on April 30, 1968 in Kangulumira, Kayunga district, Swaliki Masokoyi Waswa and Hussein Matanda Kato, are identical twin brothers.
During their childhood, they shared almost everything. For example, they slept on the same bed, went to the same school in the same year.

The soft-spoken brothers are now the eldest children in the family of 15, although there were twin boys who died in their infancy. As if to complete the picture, both Masokoyi and Matanda are politicians. Masokoyi, a former guild president of the Islamic University in Uganda, has held various political positions in Mbale district. At one time, he was the LC5 vice-chairperson.

According to Matanda, who is the resident district commissioner of Kumi, while growing up, they had a dream of building one house and sharing one wife who would bear children for them, but later as they matured, they realised that it was not practical.

Matanda believes God had a purpose for creating them as twin brothers, with several similar features, but with independent minds.

"Our facial appearance has over the years confused many people, including my father who failed to spot the difference between us when a photographer mixed up our passport size photos for Primary Leaving Examination forms and it was only our mother who differentiated them," Matanda recalls.

"I have worked as resident district commissioner for 15 years, but on several occasions, when uniformed security offi cers meet my brother, Masokoyi, they salute him thinking it is me," Matanda adds.

In 1994, Masokoyi and Matanda together attended a course at the Kyankwanzi Leadership Training School, but the instructors could not realise that they were two participants who looked alike until during one of the sessions, when they sat in front. One of the instructors went and called his colleagues to see the identical twins.

Matanda says his father, a retired chief, who is now living in Busoba sub-county in Mbale, wanted him (Matanda) to become a medical doctor while he wished Masokoyi to become a lawyer. But none of them took the professions their father wished them.

Masokoyi, who is now the deputy chief administrative offi cer of Wakiso district, recalls that during their childhood, they were always close to each other, but on some occasions, they fought for no reason at all.
"For various reasons, we did not pursue the courses our father wished us to, but both of us are patriots serving in the Government," Masokoyi said, citing the use of the East African anthem on their mobile phones as a ringtone.

Matanda, who is married to one wife, says he wants a small manageable family, while his twin brother Masokoyi, who has three wives, says he aspires to have about 30 children.

The twins, who both served in leadership positions in Uganda National Students Association, love sports and used to play football as defenders for their respective school teams at Jinja College (Matanda) and Masaba Secondary School (Masokoyi) respectively.