We share everything but wives — Nuwahereza

At 30, many siblings would be living apart, pursuing different career paths and friends and dreams.

In fact, many at that age have long lost the bond that held them together as children. However, for Hitler Kato Nuwahereza and Andrew Kakuru Niwasingura, they have confounded those rules.

"We still live in the same house (even though Niwasingura is married)," Nuwahereza, the younger of the Bushenyi based twin-brothers, says. He is also planning to marry his longtime girlfriend soon. "Some people find it strange, but that is our way of life. Most time we do things together," Nuwahereza adds. 

The brothers are both employed by Bushenyi district local government. "I am a town agent for Kyamuhunga town council while my brother works as the community development officer for Kakaju sub-county," Nuwahereza says. 

As little boys, Nuwahereza remembers them fighting each other a lot. However, they outgrew the habit and bonded more."I think we stopped fighting when we were in Primary Five," he says. 

The brothers started studies in the same school but had to be separated in 2001, when Kato was transferred to Mbarara, leaving Kakuru behind. Nuwahereza says their father thought it would help them become independent of each other. 

For the two brothers, however, it was like a death sentence. "We were lonely and although dad later started taking me back home every weekend, it did not help much. In the end, we were reunited," he says.

DIFFERENT CAREER PATHS

That helped them continue living together and pursuing their dreams. Despite the intervention of fate which ensured they did not fulfil the dream of pursuing the same courses at university, the brothers have somehow found themselves working together.

"My brother studied public administration while I did development studies," Nuwahereza says. He adds that his brother got the job in 2015 while he made a breakthrough in December 2017.

That, however, has spurred a variation in fortunes for the brothers and Niwasingura earns a bit more because of having slightly higher academic qualifications. However, he harbours no envy towards his brother.

PEAS FROM THE SAME POD

Nuwahereza says many people, including their teachers, would struggle to tell them apart although that is not a problem now since they have grown older. "Niwasingura is now taller, a bit built and soft-spoken," he said. 

Nuwahereza says he likes farming and hopes to get his brother on board so that they can set up a side business to supplement their incomes.

They also plan to build separate houses to start their families. But Nuwahereza concludes, "Our houses will be a stone-throw away from each. We cannot live far apart."