Mirembe, Uganda’s only female kayaker
Dec 06, 2005
She is an outcast in her own village of Matuumu on the banks of River Nile, Kamuli district. Her own parents, John Sajjabi and Milly Mutesi, have branded her a disgrace and have since ostracised her from the family home.
By Alex Balimwikungu
She is an outcast in her own village of Matuumu on the banks of River Nile, Kamuli district. Her own parents, John Sajjabi and Milly Mutesi, have branded her a disgrace and have since ostracised her from the family home.
At 22 years, Prossy Mirembe, is considered marriage material in rural Busoga. Sadly, unlike other girls of her age, she has refused to accept any marriage proposal, preferring to chase a man’s dream!
Many potential suitors attracted by her broad hips, coyness and the genteel way she carries herself, have burnt their fingers trying to court her. Her upset parents have also had to make endless refunds to the irate would-be husbands.
At 18-years old, Mirembe, a senior two drop out, was battered by a potential husband in the presence of her parents. Ironically, the parents sided with the batterer.
Mirembe has now left her parents who are thinking their first-born daughter has been attacked by demons.
According to her mother, Mirembe, ignoring all the “feminine roles†(if such roles still exist), took to the rapids of the River Nile, floating on jerry cans like other boys her age. This was unusual. They thought she was indeed possessed by demons and even took her to a shrine for exorcising, but she was very uncooperative.
Mirembe was attracted to the Nile rapids by the antics of the late Saidi Sulemu, who, with only a jerry can, performed daredevil antics on the rapids for sh2,000.
Sadly, one such routine trip on the rapids ended Sulemu’s life. Didn’t Sulemu’s fate on the Bujagali rapids dissuade Mirembe? No, it buoyed her instead. She actually moved to Bujagali in Jinja and settled there.
“Paul Babi (Uganda’s kayaking hero ranked 14th in the world), was very encouraging. He told me that we could make more from our adventures on the Nile,†she reminisces.
Today, Mirembe is Uganda’s only female Kayaker; she is also a life-saver with Nile River Safety kayakers, a job that from which she earns sh300,000 a month.
“I don’t regret the path I took,†Mirembe declares with finality, clutching onto her paddle. “... It was one of those things you get into; purely driven by adrenaline, where you want to look cool and act hard.â€
At the recently concluded Nile Freestyle Kayaking festival in October, Mirembe showcased just how determined she is to take on the world. She won the 45km women’s endurance race and the wave surf. She was third best in the kayaking event, losing out to Christie Long (Canada) and Sarah Caraher (Ireland).
Jamie Simpson, her coach, says Mirembe is a fast learner and very competitive.
He says as a rookie, in 2004, she won herself a kayak, skirt, paddle, lifejacket, helmet and wetsuit for her efforts.
Simpson says Mirembe has shown good mastery of the flat-water strokes and maneuvers, mastering the ever-essential kayak roll and building confidence.
“White water kayaking is a sport that demands a sharp knowledge of the behaviour of rapids, a tough upper body to enable one paddle their kayak through rough water, while free style kayaking involves surfing a wave, much like in the ocean and doing as many tricks as one can in allocated time. Mirembe is an expert at both,†Simpson says.
However, as it stands, what can only stop Mirembe from conquering the world is the lack of a sponsor.
Her peers, Geoffrey Kabirya and Paul Babi are sponsored by Fluid, a South African company. They have since travelled to New Zealand, Canada and Zimbabwe for training, an opportunity that still eludes her.
Mirembe has since tried to indoctrinate other girls into kayaking and life-saving, but she still faces an uphill task.
“They still think I am crazy. I think it would be better for Uganda if more girls joined.â€
Her dream is within sights, however, she looks more impenitent when I ask about her love life.
“I am still not into men and whoever wants to marry me will have to wait longer. I don’t expect to get pregnant in the next eight years. For my parents, I expect to talk peace with them over the Christmas holidays.
I shall offer to build them a house and take on the education of my siblings if they grant me the chance and let me practice my chosen profession-kayaking,†she says.
Ends
She is an outcast in her own village of Matuumu on the banks of River Nile, Kamuli district. Her own parents, John Sajjabi and Milly Mutesi, have branded her a disgrace and have since ostracised her from the family home.
At 22 years, Prossy Mirembe, is considered marriage material in rural Busoga. Sadly, unlike other girls of her age, she has refused to accept any marriage proposal, preferring to chase a man’s dream!
Many potential suitors attracted by her broad hips, coyness and the genteel way she carries herself, have burnt their fingers trying to court her. Her upset parents have also had to make endless refunds to the irate would-be husbands.
At 18-years old, Mirembe, a senior two drop out, was battered by a potential husband in the presence of her parents. Ironically, the parents sided with the batterer.
Mirembe has now left her parents who are thinking their first-born daughter has been attacked by demons.
According to her mother, Mirembe, ignoring all the “feminine roles†(if such roles still exist), took to the rapids of the River Nile, floating on jerry cans like other boys her age. This was unusual. They thought she was indeed possessed by demons and even took her to a shrine for exorcising, but she was very uncooperative.
Mirembe was attracted to the Nile rapids by the antics of the late Saidi Sulemu, who, with only a jerry can, performed daredevil antics on the rapids for sh2,000.
Sadly, one such routine trip on the rapids ended Sulemu’s life. Didn’t Sulemu’s fate on the Bujagali rapids dissuade Mirembe? No, it buoyed her instead. She actually moved to Bujagali in Jinja and settled there.
“Paul Babi (Uganda’s kayaking hero ranked 14th in the world), was very encouraging. He told me that we could make more from our adventures on the Nile,†she reminisces.
Today, Mirembe is Uganda’s only female Kayaker; she is also a life-saver with Nile River Safety kayakers, a job that from which she earns sh300,000 a month.
“I don’t regret the path I took,†Mirembe declares with finality, clutching onto her paddle. “... It was one of those things you get into; purely driven by adrenaline, where you want to look cool and act hard.â€
At the recently concluded Nile Freestyle Kayaking festival in October, Mirembe showcased just how determined she is to take on the world. She won the 45km women’s endurance race and the wave surf. She was third best in the kayaking event, losing out to Christie Long (Canada) and Sarah Caraher (Ireland).
Jamie Simpson, her coach, says Mirembe is a fast learner and very competitive.
He says as a rookie, in 2004, she won herself a kayak, skirt, paddle, lifejacket, helmet and wetsuit for her efforts.
Simpson says Mirembe has shown good mastery of the flat-water strokes and maneuvers, mastering the ever-essential kayak roll and building confidence.
“White water kayaking is a sport that demands a sharp knowledge of the behaviour of rapids, a tough upper body to enable one paddle their kayak through rough water, while free style kayaking involves surfing a wave, much like in the ocean and doing as many tricks as one can in allocated time. Mirembe is an expert at both,†Simpson says.
However, as it stands, what can only stop Mirembe from conquering the world is the lack of a sponsor.
Her peers, Geoffrey Kabirya and Paul Babi are sponsored by Fluid, a South African company. They have since travelled to New Zealand, Canada and Zimbabwe for training, an opportunity that still eludes her.
Mirembe has since tried to indoctrinate other girls into kayaking and life-saving, but she still faces an uphill task.
“They still think I am crazy. I think it would be better for Uganda if more girls joined.â€
Her dream is within sights, however, she looks more impenitent when I ask about her love life.
“I am still not into men and whoever wants to marry me will have to wait longer. I don’t expect to get pregnant in the next eight years. For my parents, I expect to talk peace with them over the Christmas holidays.
I shall offer to build them a house and take on the education of my siblings if they grant me the chance and let me practice my chosen profession-kayaking,†she says.
Ends