He attended twin rituals and feared being a Ssalongo

By Angela

The Lubegas not only have twins, but two sets. Simon Peter Wasswa and Joseph Solomon Kato were born on September, 28, 2000. They are in P.6 at Kampala Academy. Godfrey Samuel Wasswa and Anthony Paul Kato came later on April 28, 2006. They are in nursery at Ridgeway Primary School in Kisaasi.

James Musisi Lubega, a lay reader at St. Peter’s Church, Kisaasi and his wife Justine, have three more children. “When I rushed to the clinic to see my wife, the midwife told me: Bweza!” says Lubega. This is a Luganda congratulation for people who have got twins. “I replied: ‘Bwa Mukasa’, which is a tribute to a traditional Buganda god”

The Lubegas are now known as Ssabalongo and Nnabalongo (father/mother of more than one pair of twins) respectively in Buganda, whose culture venerates twins and their parents.

That cultural conflict was to be Lubega’s first hurdle. Being an uncompromising Christian in the Church of Uganda, Lubega had to put up with pressure to go through traditional rituals of cleansing twins (okwalula abalongo). At a tender age in 1985, he had attended such a ritual at his aunt’s place and felt nothing, but disgust.

Even when superstitious relatives tried to convince him that twins’ rituals would open up wealth, Lubega stood his ground. “I rejected the rituals even when my first set of twins, kept falling sick. People called me stupid and said it was the wrath of the gods. But I stayed firm.”

Justine adds that health is another challenge. “Twins tend to fall sick at the same time. Simon and Joseph fell ill often,” she said. “And according to my observation, the Katos fall sick first and longer. The Wasswas follow a day or two later.”

But it wasn’t the health of the twins only, that was an issue. Lubega narrates that his wife’s back became so delicate after the birth of the first pair and the caesarian section scar of the second pair did not help things either. “Doctors recommended rest for her, leaving me to wash, clean the house and cater for my wife and children single-handedly,” he said. “In fact when my wife was admitted in April 2006, I had to be home with our older children and also find time to visit hospital. It wore me out totally.”

Justine also talks of balancing. “The twins are sensitive to the care you give to either of them and are aggressive for more attention. As a parent, you need to be conscious of equity in care. “If you buy anything for one of them, the other will sulk until you give him the same thing,” she explains. “You would rather not buy anything at all than buy for only one of them or even one set of twins and not the other. Or even the twins versus other children. This can be very expensive.”

The Lubegas’ first pair arrived when they had just started a family. Their first born was still a toddler and they were still renting a house at that time. “Actually, I did not warmly welcome them at first, but later I repented to God,” he confesses.

But parents should never fear twins, the Lubegas advise. “God who gives you the children knows you can handle. All you need is co-operation. Nnabalongo and I have managed.”

Lubegas’ tips on parenting twins

Never mix cultural beliefs with Christianity if it will make you waver in your faith.

Look at your twins as a special gift from God

Never show favouritism for one of the twins

Twins are like other children given by God; discipline them when they go wrong. Ignore the traditional fear of supernatural consequences.

Try not to separate the twins. Keep them together. l Parents must learn to share duties with love and understanding so as not to burden one parent.