If you like the NBS English news bulletin, then you have watched news anchor SAMSON KASUMBA in action.
Quick Talk caught up with the lighthearted Kasumba last Thursday at the NBS TV offices where the 43-year-old talked about family, school and theology. [As we walk to the NBS TV boardroom for the interview, we engage in a little banter in which he briefly mentions his children, before telling Quick Talk about the inaccurate stories that have been published about him…]
How many children do you have?
I have three daughters. Perhaps four, including my adoptive daughter.
And who is the lucky baby-mama?
I never talk about her. It is something we agreed about, but she is my best friend in everything. But I don’t discuss her. I keep her entirely out of the public eye and she understands the dangers around what I do.
She is a no-go area, but she is my best friend. We have been married for 14 years. [Wow! No wonder Kasumba has a certain seriousness to his aura].
Would you consider yourself to be romantic?
What do you mean by romantic? Is there anyone who is married and not romantic? [Oh yes! Quick Talk answers.] Well, in that aspect I don’t think I can comment about it. Maybe my wife can, but I am actually very passionate about my marriage. I care to make sure she is not angry.
Even if it meant washing her undies just to keep her stress-free?
Yes. I have washed them a few times, but she is always reluctant to let me wash them. Otherwise, it is okay. Is there a problem with washing your wife’s underwear? If you sleep with her, you can wash her underwear. I think there are a few idiots out there wearing trousers disguising themselves as men.
I heard that you are a pastor…
Yes and no! [Quick Talk asks for enlightenment] Have I pastored before? Yes! Have I been de-frocked? Yes! Do I still pastor? Yes!
But of course, it depends on what you mean. Pastor is something really overrated. Lately, I don’t even want to be associated with being a pastor because too many people have misused the title and it is actually now dangerous to be called a pastor. [Kasumba was defrocked due to his views that were divergent from those of his Seventh Day Adventist faith.]
Really?
If you are called a pastor today, you will most likely be associated with being a conman. I have a degree in theology [Bugema University] and a master’s in Theology [New testament] from the University of Wales. I am a student and great fan of biblical Greek. If anything has shaped my life, it is theology and the Greek language.
Oh, so your accent is from Wales?
[Amused] There is a rumour that I have an accent – a fake one. People say I fake an accent [Laughing.] Maybe they are right, but I think I have spoken like this for a very long time.
My father [Fenekansi Kasumba Muwanga] cared so much about one’s ability to speak English. He took us to schools where English was very well taught and he bought us several books. It also made us very proud that he spoke to us in English. [Samson’s mother is Justine Nabacwa Kasumba Muwanga.]
And which schools are these?
I began my education at Clock Tower nursery school [wow. How this city has changed!] The headmistress was a white lady. Then they took me to Police nursery school inside Nsambya police barracks.
It was a very good nursery school. I also had a stint at Jack and Jill nursery. It was a nice nursery school and one thing I remember about it was that everybody had toys.
Were all these nursery schools?
Yes. That was all before I was taken to Kireka SDA primary school very briefly until I ended up at Nakasero primary school. A very good school, I must say. Then I was taken to Kyambogo College because dad did not believe in taking boys to boarding schools. My going to Kyambogo was a mistake.
How do you mean?
I shouldn’t have gone to a single boys’ school. I am never taking my children there [single schools]. It’s a false representation of society. I mean, where on earth do you find a community with only men? It is just wrong.
You get disoriented. I wasted two years of A-level in Kololo high school, figuring out how to go to school with girls, so I paid the price for four years of a mistake [interesting choice of words, mister!]
It was that serious?
Yes. It was a cultural shock. There was a crisis when a girl wrote me a letter. I didn’t know how to deal with it. I was panicking. This girl was saying she was in love with me and her friend who had delivered it was convincing me to say yes. It did not help that she was dating a boxer who got wind of it and was planning to beat me up. It was terrible.
Oh dear…
If I had gone to a mixed school, I would have known how to deal with it. I did not know whether to stay in school or not; so, I spent my time figuring out how to cope with girls and ended up failing my senior six.Â
I failed it so much that I have never used my senior six academic documents anywhere. I used my senior four results to study a diploma in industrial fine art and design [Nkumba University]. I was so mad at myself for the poor performance. I resolved to never be a bottom student again, and I never did.
[After his diploma, Kasumba enrolled for a degree in the same discipline, but abandoned it in favour of Theology.]
Before I forget, are you by any chance related to Jane Kasumba [you know, the accent thingy and all…]?
People ask me whether I am related to Jane Kasumba and Bbaale Francis, but I am not.
And they say you read the news like Bbaale Francis.
I think it is a very unfair comparison because Bbaale had accomplishments I don’t have. The guy was great and I hope I stay around as long as he did. I think I will still be reading news even at 60 years.
pbaike@yahoo.com
