I never enjoyed my marriage - Nansikombi

Jun 09, 2012

MARY Ritah Nansikombi, 94, lives in Gayaza and she hates politics and politicians.

MARY Ritah Nansikombi, 94, lives in Gayaza and she hates politics and politicians. 

The daughter of Mary and Sepiriya Kaddumukasa, who was a son of prime minister Sir Apollo Kaggwa, says: “As a granddaughter of a chief, I studied at Gayaza High School.

“It was during that time that I met Ignatius Kangave  Musaazi, who was studying at Kings’ College Budo. We were married officially in 1936 in Kenya,” she recalls.

“I never enjoyed my marriage. I lived in constant fear that Musaazi’s political opponents would imprison me and my children. My husband was imprisoned 37 times until the colonialists started jailing him in faraway places like Karamoja. But whenever he was released, he would resume his activities. Whenever he was caught, he was charged with treason, for organising Ugandans to rebel against the colonialists.

“He even designed a hat with the letters PG on it, which meant Prisons Graduate, implying that he was ready to be imprisoned any time. He said he would not be intimidated until Ugandans were liberated and gained independence.

“The colonialists even stopped my children from studying in their schools. There was a time when we spent the night outside. At other times, I would lock Musaazi in the house and travel to confuse the neighbours, so that they would think he was not around. Musaazi made me hate politics, and to date, I still advise my grandchildren not to marry politicians, if they want to enjoy marriage.

“Musaazi was the first African to address the British House of Commons in 1940. He was well dressed in a kanzu and bark cloth, and demanded for the independence of Uganda. When he came back, the governor, Andrew Cohen, imprisoned him.

 

Who is Mary?

“I was very beautiful in those days and for your information, I was the first lady to drive a Mercedes Benz in the whole country. That car was given to me by my grandfather, Sir Apollo Kaggwa, because of his great love for me.”

Mary Ritah Nansikombi is no ordinary lady and just to prove it she has written her will and pasted it on a wall. It’s written in Luganda.

“Tobikkula, okuziikibwa Luteete awali mmange. Ataliiwo talindwanga, sirina musika era simwagala”. 

It literally means, ‘don’t open, I will be buried in Luteete, next to my mother, do not wait for anyone who is far away to come for burial, I don’t have an heir and I don’t need one’.

 

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