My FAMILY, MY LOVE â€" mUHOOZI
<br>When he turns his eyes to the left of his lengthy office table, his eyes meet smiling faces of two of his children. <br>
By Joshua Kato
When he turns his eyes to the left of his lengthy office table, his eyes meet smiling faces of two of his children.
When he turns to the right, he still sees photos of his children. Like most parents, children are Muhoozi’s most valuable treasure.
When his children fall sick, it hurts. “When they are sick, I am disturbed. It affects me when I see them suffering in the hospital,†he says. Though his schedule is tough, he spares time to be with his family.
“My family is very important,†he says, taking a glimpse at one of the photos of his children. It was a stern look, as if he was seeing the photo for the first time. He adds, “However, when I take a long time without meeting them, when they grow up, they would know that I was not with them because I was working for the country.â€
The 6ft tall son of President Yoweri Museveni also loves music and dance and supports Brazil.
Muhoozi says he does domestic chores whenever he gets time. “But I am not good at that,†he says. He, for example, irons his clothes, especially his uniform.
However, he rarely visits the kitchen. “I would make a mess of it,†he says and pauses, as if pondering. “I do not think even my wife would allow me there,†he says. Because he ‘fears’ going to the kitchen, he is not able to supervise the preparation of his favourite dish of matooke and chicken.
Muhoozi is cagey when asked about how he met his sweetheart, he married in 1999. His wife, Charlotte Kuteesa, is daughter of foreign affairs minister Sam Kuteesa. Muhoozi talks about Charlotte with fondness as the chief manager of the house. Their marriage is still blossoming. They have three children.
“Before I got married, I used to go out a lot. But ever since I got married, I have reduced because I have many responsibilities that do not give me time to go out,†he says. He adds, “Even most of the people I used to go out with are now married. They have their own responsibilities,â€
He, however, has a soft-spot for music. “I like Juliana (Kanyomozi). she has some nice songs. I like listening to Jose Chameleone, Bebe Cool, Ngoni of the Digi fame and I am generally an RnB fan,†he says.
If he is not listening to music during his free time, he is watching basketball. “The L.A Lakers (a US team) are my favourite. I enjoy watching them,†he says.
Muhoozi loves the Brazilian national football team. The mere mention of “Brazil†makes his face light up. “Aah, it is the only football team I support in the world. They play unique football,†he emphasises.
When I dare him that Brazil cannot win this year’s world cup, Muhoozi’s face lights up even more, and he seems ready for a serious argument over the issue.
“I think the Czech republic will take it,†I probe.
Stretching himself in his chair, he shoots back: “Let us bet with you that the Czech republic will take it. It will be Brazil,†he emphasises. This bet is still on.
Being a son of a revolutionary who was around and about, Muhoozi also spent his childhood up and about. This experience saw Muhoozi live in Kenya, Tanzania, Sweden and later in the UK. “I started school in Tanzania, but when we returned in 1979, I was taken to Kampala Kindergarten,†he says. In 1980, he was taken to Kabala Preparatory school and later when his father went to the bush, he went to Rusinga primary School in Nairobi.
“In 1986 when we came back, I joined St. Mary’s College Kisubi and later Kings College Budo,†he says. He then joined Nottingham University in the UK. Studying in five different countries enabled him appreciate the diverse cultures.
At the peak of his studies as a soldier, he has combined all this diversity into one belief.
“The institution of the army removes all those barriers of tribe, country and religion. I have been with Senegalese, Tanzanians, Kenyans, Nigerians, Ugandans and so many other people. I see all of them as comrades irrespective of their backgrounds,†he says.
Muhoozi loves reading books, but mostly about war and military strategy.
“At Kisubi, I used to spend a lot of time in the library, reading old books about politics, the Encyclopaedia and the Letters of Indira Ghandi to her father Jawalal Nehru,†he says.
Muhoozi also loves cows, though not as passionately as his father. When his father talks about his cows, his face lights up, before he fervently digs into the history of the Ankole cattle. But Muhoozi simply says he loves cows and goes down to the farm to visit them.
When he turns his eyes to the left of his lengthy office table, his eyes meet smiling faces of two of his children.
When he turns to the right, he still sees photos of his children. Like most parents, children are Muhoozi’s most valuable treasure.
When his children fall sick, it hurts. “When they are sick, I am disturbed. It affects me when I see them suffering in the hospital,†he says. Though his schedule is tough, he spares time to be with his family.
“My family is very important,†he says, taking a glimpse at one of the photos of his children. It was a stern look, as if he was seeing the photo for the first time. He adds, “However, when I take a long time without meeting them, when they grow up, they would know that I was not with them because I was working for the country.â€
The 6ft tall son of President Yoweri Museveni also loves music and dance and supports Brazil.
Muhoozi says he does domestic chores whenever he gets time. “But I am not good at that,†he says. He, for example, irons his clothes, especially his uniform.
However, he rarely visits the kitchen. “I would make a mess of it,†he says and pauses, as if pondering. “I do not think even my wife would allow me there,†he says. Because he ‘fears’ going to the kitchen, he is not able to supervise the preparation of his favourite dish of matooke and chicken.
Muhoozi is cagey when asked about how he met his sweetheart, he married in 1999. His wife, Charlotte Kuteesa, is daughter of foreign affairs minister Sam Kuteesa. Muhoozi talks about Charlotte with fondness as the chief manager of the house. Their marriage is still blossoming. They have three children.
“Before I got married, I used to go out a lot. But ever since I got married, I have reduced because I have many responsibilities that do not give me time to go out,†he says. He adds, “Even most of the people I used to go out with are now married. They have their own responsibilities,â€
He, however, has a soft-spot for music. “I like Juliana (Kanyomozi). she has some nice songs. I like listening to Jose Chameleone, Bebe Cool, Ngoni of the Digi fame and I am generally an RnB fan,†he says.
If he is not listening to music during his free time, he is watching basketball. “The L.A Lakers (a US team) are my favourite. I enjoy watching them,†he says.
Muhoozi loves the Brazilian national football team. The mere mention of “Brazil†makes his face light up. “Aah, it is the only football team I support in the world. They play unique football,†he emphasises.
When I dare him that Brazil cannot win this year’s world cup, Muhoozi’s face lights up even more, and he seems ready for a serious argument over the issue.
“I think the Czech republic will take it,†I probe.
Stretching himself in his chair, he shoots back: “Let us bet with you that the Czech republic will take it. It will be Brazil,†he emphasises. This bet is still on.
Being a son of a revolutionary who was around and about, Muhoozi also spent his childhood up and about. This experience saw Muhoozi live in Kenya, Tanzania, Sweden and later in the UK. “I started school in Tanzania, but when we returned in 1979, I was taken to Kampala Kindergarten,†he says. In 1980, he was taken to Kabala Preparatory school and later when his father went to the bush, he went to Rusinga primary School in Nairobi.
“In 1986 when we came back, I joined St. Mary’s College Kisubi and later Kings College Budo,†he says. He then joined Nottingham University in the UK. Studying in five different countries enabled him appreciate the diverse cultures.
At the peak of his studies as a soldier, he has combined all this diversity into one belief.
“The institution of the army removes all those barriers of tribe, country and religion. I have been with Senegalese, Tanzanians, Kenyans, Nigerians, Ugandans and so many other people. I see all of them as comrades irrespective of their backgrounds,†he says.
Muhoozi loves reading books, but mostly about war and military strategy.
“At Kisubi, I used to spend a lot of time in the library, reading old books about politics, the Encyclopaedia and the Letters of Indira Ghandi to her father Jawalal Nehru,†he says.
Muhoozi also loves cows, though not as passionately as his father. When his father talks about his cows, his face lights up, before he fervently digs into the history of the Ankole cattle. But Muhoozi simply says he loves cows and goes down to the farm to visit them.