The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
What is the greatest thing you have ever done?
I am one of those who have been abused the most but I have learnt to enjoy the abuses and proved to be a hardcore. I was abused as a Mayor but also as a teacher by the students but I will never let go as long as I know what I want. Once people come to understand that you are not a joker, they learn to take you for that. Many times, my confidence has got me through.
What is your current state of mind?
I am happy.
What does being powerful mean to you?
Using wealth to bring in and consolidate power. This also means being intelligent to maintain relevance in society.
On what occasion do you lie?
If the intention is to save somebody but I strive to rectify the matter later.
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
My stomach protrudes a lot which I don’t like and my toes are also too short. However, even when I am ageing, I like my eyes.
Which living person do you most despise?
Hypocrites or being a friend to someone superficially. The worst person is one who pretends to be good but can poison you and the best is one who pretends to hate you but cannot poison you.
What is the quality you most like in a man?
Hardworking, an entrepreneur, and loving.
What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Balancing work-life and home, caring and very disciplined.
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My children and siblings; but I also have friends who are almost like family.
When and where were you happiest?
When I bought my first car which I couldn’t drive, taking my first flight to the UK to attend a wedding of my brother, my wedding day and when I gave birth to my first born in 1982.
Which talent would you most like to have?
Sports, career guidance, Rotary and farming .
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I want to be young again and start with what I haven’t done.
Where would you most like to live?
I love Uganda save for the traffic jam and the recent murders.
What is your most treasured possession?
I treasure my political career and even when I am not in any position currently, I am still a politician at heart. I am a teacher turned politician so I treasure the political gene in me.
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Being poor to the level of not affording a meal per day; you might not sleep well but at least have something to eat.
What do you most value in your friends?
Being friends in need.
Who are your favorite writers?
Shakespeare, Chinua Achebe, George Orwell and Sir William Gerald Golding; I enjoy humor to my best and that is what is keeping me healthy but I also like to see tragedies and how to solve them.
Who is your hero of fiction?
For Oliver Twist, I always want more from him. I also loved the courage of Romeo and Juliet. Okonkwo tried to do everything that would make him different from what people thought of him.
Which historical figure do you most identify with?
They might not be big figures but James Mulwana was just something else; he left behind a strong business with structures and systems to the extent that you can’t tell that he’s gone. Prof. Lawrence Mukiibi, let alone the negative reporting, left a legacy.
Who are your heroes in real life?
Princes Diana came from a poor family and tried to fight an elite and became defiant so she remains my hero. I also admired my parents because they made me who I am today.
What is your greatest regret?
I am so grateful that God has done 90 percent of what I struggled to get. There might be some downfalls but I try to not to regret.
How would you like to die?
Just like Mary the mother of Jesus but also in my bed painlessly.
What is your motto?
Never give up
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Which princess Diana is she talking about? The famous British princess Diana was an aristocrat who was more English than the herself with filthy rich background. I hope she didn’t mean her.
I meant more English than the Queen herself.