What are you up to these days?
Right now I am doing my work as the vice chairperson of the Central Executive Committee (CEC). I have just launched my campaign called Kisoboka, which is going to focus on service delivery to the people. I am visiting different districts to look at what people are doing in terms of household income.
Personally, I have several sites that I am constructing. I am doing a lot of farming. I am a family man; so, I am spending a lot of time with my family. And other small businesses I am running.
Where, when and to whom were you born?
I was born here in the central region in 1976 to Mr and Mrs Francis Ssebagala in a village called Kikunyu, Kikandwa sub-county in Mityana district; by then it was still Mubende district. I grew up and studied from there until my A-level and came to Kampala.
What are some of your fondest childhood memories in Mityana?
I am the first born of the family. I was born in a very poor family. One thing I cannot forget about my childhood is the 1981-1986 war [the one that propelled his boss to the presidency]. I was around six years when we were forced to leave our home and ran and hid in Nakawuka.
At school, I cannot forget the day my friends and I were beaten at assembly after the teachers seeing us eating sugarcane while moving on the road. However, one of us refused to be caned and walked out of the school and that was the end of his education.
Few people know about your family…
I am married to Veronica Nannono, she is a teacher by profession and currently works with Uneb. I have several children, but my wife has nine. Those who know us so much call us Maama and Taata Ssuubi. We had our first born on the very day I was first sworn in as MP for Mityana North. She is now 20 years old and will be joining university soon to do medicine.
How did you meet Maama Ssuubi?
We met at Makerere University. She was a year behind me. I was the chairman of Mubende Makerere University Students Association and she was the secretary. I saw a very beautiful young woman and talked to her when I was finishing.
She was studying Education; so, I employed her to be the headmistress of my school which I had in my second year. I was her first employer and we have had a very successful marriage.Â
Before you became a minister, was wildlife and tourism already your passion?
No, it wasn’t. First of all I come from an area with almost no tourism activities; it was passion to work.
How did that job influence Kiwanda the person?
Well, those who knew me even before I became a minister know how much energy I put into everything I do. My passion to work is in my blood.
What is that one thing you did for the tourism sector that you are most proud of?
I brought tourism to the lowest person. When I was growing up, people used to look at tourism as a thing for the rich, hotel owners and foreigners.Â
So, when I went to the ministry, I promised myself to bring it down to the local people. The numbers of domestic tourism and international arrivals rose and I am very proud of that.
Tourism became like a personal name – Kiwanda’s ministry – even when I was just a Minister of State. At times people would even forget my senior and that would make me feel not so good.
Which of our national parks is your favourite and why?
That is very difficult and I really cannot choose because all our national parks are very different with unique features you cannot find in another.
Kidepo has herds of buffalo, Murchison Falls has the waterfalls, Queen Elizabeth has the boat cruises, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga have the mountain gorillas. So, each park gives you a unique experience. [Uganda has 10 national parks in total.]
Which is your fondest memory from your tour as minister?
I will never forget when I visited Bwindi Impenetrable Forest national park with my wife during Easter 2018. We interacted with gorillas and during that time one gorilla was born and named after me, Tulambule baby gorilla.
They say you promoted and died with Miss Curvy…
There are very many initiatives that were brought along when I was in the ministry, but not by me. I kept my ears and office open and most of these programmes were brought up by the young people.
I just used to give them my ear, promote and attend their functions. Like for Miss Curvy, it was not brought by me. It was Ann Mungoma’s idea though it was my name that was sounding.
And I saw no reason as to why we shouldn’t have the Miss Curvy pageant. We have Miss Tourism, Miss Uganda, which take up mostly ladies of size one. So, if these people came up and said that there are curvaceous people and want to have their own beauty contest, I had no reason to refuse.
Is life now different since you are neither legislator nor minister?
It is somehow different, but very enjoyable [smiles broadly]. One, you don’t have restrictions. You find me like today [Thursday] in my jeans and T-shirts, but back then you would find me in suits and ties, going in and out of meetings.
Life is easy. You interact, reduce on your security [surely you miss sweeping us off the roads in traffic jams…], I have enough time to visit my sites and farm and also spend enough time with my family.
Life is very interesting when you are out of those offices and I would advise those who have made it to a certain age, especially sixties and seventies, to have time to relax [eeeh?]
Would you tell that to your boss? He’s 76.
It is all about choice. I know even the president would like to have such time but at times he just sees that he still has a task. It is not easy to take that decision of not contesting again like the one I took in Mityana North. But it is important that as we grow in leadership, we also build leadership amongst the young people…
But I am sure there are some things you miss about being in those offices.
I have seen it all. When I was not appointed a minister or even when I stood for EALA and lost, some people thought I was going to get annoyed, but I did not find a reason why.
The only thing probably I could be missing from being a minister is that fuel card where you get some free fuel [mmm…so you have noticed the pump prices lately!] Maybe even having some facilitation to do the work that I want to do and help people without using my personal resources.
You chose not to run for MP again which kind of spiralled your life in a different direction. Any regrets?
[Promptly] No. I am not even thinking of running again as MP. Maybe with time it may come but as of now, I don’t regret that decision. It was very difficult for me to do two activities; as member of CEC and as an MP.
So, there is no chance of you coming back in Mityana North?
I am still thinking about it… I am still contemplating about going for EALA again in 2022.
Speaking about EALA [East African Legislative Assembly], what happened? It seemed like you had a good fight?
There are things that disorganized me. I had a late entry after CEC decided for me to run. There was also the [Jacob] Oulanyah – [Rebecca] Kadaga fight [for the speaker’s post in Parliament], which was still so fresh; given my background with Oulanyah where I was his chief campaigner in 2016, some of the Kadaga team fought me even when I did not participate so much in these elections for speaker. I lost by only eight votes to James Kakooza and I wish him well.
You became a politician at a young age; what other professions are you good at?
I have a degree in Economics. I also did a master’s in International Relations. Currently, I am pursuing a degree in Law, which I have just begun and I also have an honorary PhD in Tourism from a university in Zambia after seeing my enthusiasm in tourism. That is why I am called a doctor.
How is your normal day like?
My days are somehow very hectic in terms of media; there is no particular day that goes by without me addressing a radio, TV station or newspaper.
Mondays are basically to reflect and see how the week is going to go, Tuesdays very early in the morning I have a media meeting with the minister of Information to find out what has been discussed in cabinet as a CEC member, and other days I visit my different offices in and out of Kampala.
How do you spend the free time?
I play football with my team in the village every Saturday. I play number seven. I also run about 10km daily. I don’t drink alcohol but I enjoy going out with people for a chat.
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