Kasozi’s 40-year life of collecting newspapers
Apr 29, 2009
A huge pile of papers lying in different corners of the living room threw an ageing dusty stare at me as I entered Hakim Kasozi’s house in Old Kampala.
By Stephen Ssenkaaba
A huge pile of papers lying in different corners of the living room threw an ageing dusty stare at me as I entered Hakim Kasozi’s house in Old Kampala.
The living room is barely large enough to keep his essential household items but Kasozi somehow manages to squeeze some space to keep old newspapers therein.
It was a strange welcome to a house that rekindled memories of my primary school teacher’s living room — a table here, a chair there, a pile of scripts in one corner and pens in another.
The once white sheets, done in neat bundles, are slowly turning yellow with age. But this is the least of Kasozi’s worries.
“That is my treasure,†he says pointing at one of the piles. I would never trade my newspapers for anything.â€
Kasozi, a 54-year-old self-retired professional could also be one of Kampala’s biggest newspaper collectors.
His preferred newspaper is The New Vision, Uganda’s Leading Daily. “I don’t remember when I started reading The New Vision,†says this father of four sons. “What I remember is that I have always wanted to read and to keep a certain type of newspaper,†he adds.
Kasozi’s interest in reading and collecting newspapers started while he was a student at Kitunga High School (present day Muntuyera High School) in western Uganda back in 1970.
“The school used to buy us newspapers and a copy was distributed to every house,†he adds.
Even though there were many papers in circulation at the time, Kasozi preferred reading only one type of newspaper — The Uganda Argus.
“Apart from being the government newspaper then, The Uganda Argus had a wide range of interesting features, from politics to sports, that I found not only comprehensive but also very informative,†he says
Even though he did not have the money to buy newspapers then, Kasozi made sure he caught up with the events in the news through other ways. “When I did not have access to the papers, I would borrow a copy from a friend or a neighbour.â€
He sometimes saved some money to buy a few copies of his favourite newspaper and by the end of the 1970s he had gathered a significant collection of old newspapers. Unfortunately all this was destroyed during the war that ousted President Idi Amin.
However, Kasozi’s desire to collect newspapers was not destroyed. He continued collecting every single copy of The Uganda Times (which had replaced The Uganda Argus). After leaving school and getting a job, he became a regular buyer of the paper. He bought and kept newspapers well into the mid and late 1980s when The Uganda Times changed into The New Vision. He has continued with the same practice since the inception of The New Vision, 23 years ago.
Where does this obsession come from?
Kasozi looks up and after a moment of silence says: “I don’t really know.†He compares this obsession to his favourite dish — matooke.
“I like matooke so much that just having it on the menu is enough to satisfy me…†he says. One time, his hobby paid off.
“A professor and friend of mine who was conducting research on Ugandan politics asked me to make The New Vision newspaper cuttings on this subject. It paid off quite handsomely,†he says.
But Kasozi insists that he does not collect newspapers for profit. I have turned down many offers, for me it is not about money,†he says. His wife also religiously guards the newspapers.
“I have severally kept buyers away. Even when there is nothing to light the charcoal stove, we cannot use those papers, that is how much they mean to us,†she says.
A better person
After over 30 years of dedicated reading of newspapers, Kasozi feels that his life has significantly improved.
“I don’t know what life would be like today if I had not adopted this practice,†he muses. Kasozi says newspapers have improved his knowledge base, turning him into an information bank.
Apart from knowing what goes on in the world, I have also become a consultant on many issues among my colleagues and peers.
Whenever there is a debate at work people always refer to me to guide the discussion basing on my knowledge of national and world affairs,†he says. This knowledge has won him respect among his colleagues and confidence from his superiors, especially in his recent employment as a driver at the Uganda Change Agent Association.
“My bosses have sometimes asked me to take on tasks basing purely on my knowledge of world affairs. I have been asked to participate in training workshops and sometimes facilitate them.
These are tasks that would ordinarily not be assigned to junior officers of my rank.â€
His children have also greatly benefited from reading newspapers. For instance, one of his sons who recently sat for his Primary Leaving Examinations benefited from reading newspapers.
He did not grow weary from consulting, which made him pass well.
Reading newspapers has also shaped his attitude towards life, particularly on the role of education. Over the years, he has read inspiring stories of people who started from scratch but, through persistence and dedication, went on to attain their dreams.
Such stories have helped him to realise the purpose of hard work and the importance of education.
Leaving a legacy
Born in Isingiro district in a devout Muslim family, Kasozi is the second-last of 12 siblings.
He went to various primary schools in western Uganda before joining Kitunga High School where he completed his O’levels and thereafter started working.
He has since served in different capacities as a clerk, assistant surveyor, hotel housekeeper, research assistant, driver, technician and trainer.
Since he has no hope of establishing a library, it is difficult to imagine how Kasozi will keep the papers he has accumulated.
“I will keep them in my house for as long as I live. Afterwards I will pass them on to my children; they will know what to do with them.â€
It is his prayer, though, that when he cannot do it anymore, someone should be able to carry on this tradition, if only to sustain his legacy.
A huge pile of papers lying in different corners of the living room threw an ageing dusty stare at me as I entered Hakim Kasozi’s house in Old Kampala.
The living room is barely large enough to keep his essential household items but Kasozi somehow manages to squeeze some space to keep old newspapers therein.
It was a strange welcome to a house that rekindled memories of my primary school teacher’s living room — a table here, a chair there, a pile of scripts in one corner and pens in another.
The once white sheets, done in neat bundles, are slowly turning yellow with age. But this is the least of Kasozi’s worries.
“That is my treasure,†he says pointing at one of the piles. I would never trade my newspapers for anything.â€
Kasozi, a 54-year-old self-retired professional could also be one of Kampala’s biggest newspaper collectors.
His preferred newspaper is The New Vision, Uganda’s Leading Daily. “I don’t remember when I started reading The New Vision,†says this father of four sons. “What I remember is that I have always wanted to read and to keep a certain type of newspaper,†he adds.
Kasozi’s interest in reading and collecting newspapers started while he was a student at Kitunga High School (present day Muntuyera High School) in western Uganda back in 1970.
“The school used to buy us newspapers and a copy was distributed to every house,†he adds.
Even though there were many papers in circulation at the time, Kasozi preferred reading only one type of newspaper — The Uganda Argus.
“Apart from being the government newspaper then, The Uganda Argus had a wide range of interesting features, from politics to sports, that I found not only comprehensive but also very informative,†he says
Even though he did not have the money to buy newspapers then, Kasozi made sure he caught up with the events in the news through other ways. “When I did not have access to the papers, I would borrow a copy from a friend or a neighbour.â€
He sometimes saved some money to buy a few copies of his favourite newspaper and by the end of the 1970s he had gathered a significant collection of old newspapers. Unfortunately all this was destroyed during the war that ousted President Idi Amin.
However, Kasozi’s desire to collect newspapers was not destroyed. He continued collecting every single copy of The Uganda Times (which had replaced The Uganda Argus). After leaving school and getting a job, he became a regular buyer of the paper. He bought and kept newspapers well into the mid and late 1980s when The Uganda Times changed into The New Vision. He has continued with the same practice since the inception of The New Vision, 23 years ago.
Where does this obsession come from?
Kasozi looks up and after a moment of silence says: “I don’t really know.†He compares this obsession to his favourite dish — matooke.
“I like matooke so much that just having it on the menu is enough to satisfy me…†he says. One time, his hobby paid off.
“A professor and friend of mine who was conducting research on Ugandan politics asked me to make The New Vision newspaper cuttings on this subject. It paid off quite handsomely,†he says.
But Kasozi insists that he does not collect newspapers for profit. I have turned down many offers, for me it is not about money,†he says. His wife also religiously guards the newspapers.
“I have severally kept buyers away. Even when there is nothing to light the charcoal stove, we cannot use those papers, that is how much they mean to us,†she says.
A better person
After over 30 years of dedicated reading of newspapers, Kasozi feels that his life has significantly improved.
“I don’t know what life would be like today if I had not adopted this practice,†he muses. Kasozi says newspapers have improved his knowledge base, turning him into an information bank.
Apart from knowing what goes on in the world, I have also become a consultant on many issues among my colleagues and peers.
Whenever there is a debate at work people always refer to me to guide the discussion basing on my knowledge of national and world affairs,†he says. This knowledge has won him respect among his colleagues and confidence from his superiors, especially in his recent employment as a driver at the Uganda Change Agent Association.
“My bosses have sometimes asked me to take on tasks basing purely on my knowledge of world affairs. I have been asked to participate in training workshops and sometimes facilitate them.
These are tasks that would ordinarily not be assigned to junior officers of my rank.â€
His children have also greatly benefited from reading newspapers. For instance, one of his sons who recently sat for his Primary Leaving Examinations benefited from reading newspapers.
He did not grow weary from consulting, which made him pass well.
Reading newspapers has also shaped his attitude towards life, particularly on the role of education. Over the years, he has read inspiring stories of people who started from scratch but, through persistence and dedication, went on to attain their dreams.
Such stories have helped him to realise the purpose of hard work and the importance of education.
Leaving a legacy
Born in Isingiro district in a devout Muslim family, Kasozi is the second-last of 12 siblings.
He went to various primary schools in western Uganda before joining Kitunga High School where he completed his O’levels and thereafter started working.
He has since served in different capacities as a clerk, assistant surveyor, hotel housekeeper, research assistant, driver, technician and trainer.
Since he has no hope of establishing a library, it is difficult to imagine how Kasozi will keep the papers he has accumulated.
“I will keep them in my house for as long as I live. Afterwards I will pass them on to my children; they will know what to do with them.â€
It is his prayer, though, that when he cannot do it anymore, someone should be able to carry on this tradition, if only to sustain his legacy.