Our mother nicknamed us for easy identification

Anne Babirye and Rebecca Nakato

Joan Babirye, Miriam Nakato, Anne Babirye and Rebecca Nakato are siblings born to the late Salongo Samuel Semwogerere and Nalongo Alice Semwogerere who were residents of Plot 76 Kira road near the Uganda Museum.

"Our mother first gave birth to a boy who was followed by Joan Babirye and Miriam Nakato. She later had Anne Babirye and I, then there is a boy who follows us," narrates Rebecca Nakato.

She says during their childhood, their relatives and neighbours could not call them by their twin names because when they called Babirye, the two Babiryes came around and when they called Nakato, the two Nakatos responded.

"'This is when our mother decided to give us nick names to solve the dilemma," Rebecca says.

The first set of twins was given the name Bye Senior, short for Babirye Senior and the second was Ko Senior for Nakato Senior.

The second pair of twins was given Bye Junior which was Babirye Junior and Ko Junior which was Nakato Junior.

This helped to identify us personally and we got no difficulties again.

We grew up responding to these names, but over time we stopped using them. If we meet people and they call us by these names, we immediately know that they are among the people we grew up with'' Rebecca says.

Miriam Nakato says she is tall and dark skinned, but her twin sister Joan Babirye is short and a bit lighter skinned.

The opposite is true of the second pair of twins; Babirye Junior is short and light skinned while Nakato Junior is tall and dark skinned.

Anne Babirye says they all have different characters in that Babirye Senior loves doing house work while Nakato Senior loves cooking.

Nakato Junior loves running short races and I love running long races," Ann reveals.

 Nalongo Ssemwogerere

"We all have different professions where Babirye senior is an accountant, Nakato senior is a housewife, Nakato Junior is a statistician and I am a nurse," she adds.

"My twin and I both went to Kitante Primary School, but later each went to different secondary schools and universities," Ann says.

The senior twins both went to City Primary School, after which they each went to different secondary schools.

The four each love the Lord and are very active in their respective churches.