I hail from two sub-counties in farthest end of Greater Bushenyi in the neighbourhood of Rukungiri District. This place is now a county comprising Greater Bitereko sub-counties.
Why our county was called Ruhinda North, I do not know but I detest. The real place called Ruhinda is in Mitooma around Kirambi where there is a monthly market running every second Friday of the Week.
The other Ruhinda is the name of the county that ours was carved out. Why they called the new county Ruhinda North is a pointer that we are not independent at all. It is to remind the whole world that we were born by Ruhinda and you know in the AFRICAN CULTURE, a child can never be equal to the father.
Clearly, that our county represented by my brother Thomas Tayebwa is called Ruhinda North is a pointer that we are under the hegemony of the imperialists from Greater Mitooma and Greater Kabira.
Why do I bring these things in a tribute to a dear family? And which family is this? In Bitereko, the genuinely wealthy man is called Tito Ntsigaireho the father to Ntsigaireho Nicholas, Rose Nowamani, Nganwa Adias, Nel Son (Nelson Nowahabwe), Dan Asiimwe, Goodluck (I forget the surname), Naturinda Bruce, Atuhaire Ambrose, Nasasira Anthony, and Happy Hapy Asingwire. This family has extended family members - Miers, David Nuwareba, and Moses (Soda Moses).
This family is indeed a blessing to me, a blessing to Bitereko and a blessing to all that have come closer to it. The family is widespread, in Bitereko the Nathan Kayogoza family that begets Diana Kyomugisha, Kayogozil Bayliss (Mwebaze Baylis), Julius Twebaze, Ronnah, Sandra, Agasha, Sheila and I don't know whether I have forgotten others. The Henry Rukundo family to which I physically belong is inextricably linked to the Tito family. The other family is the Deo Tweshengyereze family.
These families have impacted on me so so much but I must give special gratitude to the central role that Mummy Betty and Dad Tito Ntsigaireho have played in shaping me into the person I am today. When I finished Senior Four at Kigarama Secondary School, I never wanted to dig and work in the family small banana plantation. So, I went to Iraramira at the family of my friend's father Miriti. I slaughtered a pig and using barter trade exchanged the pork for bananas (kahinja and kisubi). By then money was in the sale of Waragi. My friend Emmanuel Mugisha Miriiti Emmanuel and I did the donkey work.
After a heavy toil, we got money worth Sh 200,000. I don't remember whether the sharing was equitable. All I know is that I got some capital to start a small retail shop at the trading centre just next to Kigarama Secondary School, Kigarama Primary School and Kigarama Catholic Parish. It is at that small shop of mine that I formally entered Tito's family. Miers would give me all the money I wanted to do shopping, I would courtesy of Tito's family buy all the Kabaragara and bogoya (for sweet bananas) from Stephen Mugisha's farm and all the people around who directly or indirectly depend on Tito became my customers.
Tito vied for BUSHENYI Councillor LC V seat to represent Bitereko Sub-county IN 1998. I drove around with him almost everywhere. He lost the battle but won the war. I learnt from Mr. Vincent Wamanya who was Headteacher Kigarama Primary school that if you are in a race, you have objectives say from a to d. If you achieve objective a,b and c but fail to achive objective D, you are a winner. Indeed, I am convinced in that race, Tito won the three objectives. Initially, our politics was polarised along religion. This race between two respectable gentlemen, Tito Ntsigaireho and Ponsiano Basinyora changed the political terrain of Bitereko. In this race, quite a number of Catholics like me, my guardian Henry Rukundo, my uncle Emmanuel Tibaijuka and so many others openly rallied behind Tito.
After the election, Tito, Rukundo and Tweshengyereze sat and resolved that I must join A LEVEL. Tito and Henry Rukundo jointly funded my education. From that day, I have always taken Tito to be my Dad. His family is my family. His children are my brothers and sisters. But most importantly, Tito's children are the most refined people we have in our place. None of them is a Mukopi. Note: One can be a mukopi even when they have all the money. The bukopi I mean are characterised by greed, selfishness and exploitation. Indeed, one can be rich without embracing the capitalistic tenets of individualism, selfishness, greed and exploitation. Rose Nowamani and Loyce were my pastors when Museveni's government excessively hiked Makerere cut-off points thereby leaving me stranded, I have always enjoyed the company of my youngest brothers. The company of Bruce, Tony and Ambrose makes me the happiest person. Whenever I find Mummy Betty and Patience I feel gratified.
of course, I have another family. The family of my uncle Daudi Bangirana (father to Tom Tayebwa, Alexander Kibandama, Allan Mayaabo, Sixtus Karyaija, Innocent Nyamujunga, Titian Kigambe Titian, Alice Busingye, Allen Rukundo, Kenyangi, Dennis Dennis D. Muhumuza, Julius Mutabazi) who I grew up knowing as a neighbour until I joined my father's home in Kanyabwanga, Nyandago only to find that we are from the same family of Abajunga and that my immediate uncle Engineer Emmanuel Rwamacumu (RIP) was uncle Deogratias Kamugisha's business partner at some point in time.
I implore Tito, Daudi, Rukundo, Nathan and company to fight to rename our county Bitereko county not Ruhinda North.
Lest I forget Nel Son is one of the most brilliant people I have met on earth. What a blessing. LET US THANK GOD WHO GAVE US TITO AND HIS FAMILY. THE PEOPLE OF BITEREKO, KANYABWANGA, RUHINDA ARE LUCKY TO HAVE WEALTHY PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT CAPITALISTIC.
It is only and only if we defeat capitalism that all of us can be wealthy. Museveni's Operation Wealth Creation is but hot, empty air.
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