{UAH} The making of Jacqueline Suzan Mbabazi

The making of Jacqueline Suzan Mbabazi

The Amamas with some of their 11 grandchildren. They met when she was in A-Level and have been married for 41 years. Courtesy Photo. 

Jacqueline Mbabazi is beautiful! It could be the smile that illuminates her face, her fair skin or the full head of hair; something about her conjures images of a beautiful little girl twirling in her princess frock.

Whatever it is, it makes you realise that none of the photos of her you have seen do her justice because they don't portray any of the warmth, or the relaxed and welcoming nature she gives off when you meet her.
From the flambouyant elegant jackets she usually dons, to the dainty but ladylike energy with which she carries herself, there is little about her that tells of her 60 years.

But, of course, she would look half her age. What with her polished full life set up in Kololo with guards at the gate, maids to answer to her calls and the luxury that money brings, which she seems to have enjoyed all her life?

Except that none of these actually describe what Jacqueline's life is truly made of. She has, in fact, known true hardship and has a story that spins in the same direction as many other Ugandan women born in her generation.

"I came from a very poor family from Nyakishenyi in the then Kigezi District, where we shared beddings and walked 14 miles to and from school every day. We did not lack food but I recall nights when as many as four people had to share a bed," she recounts, laughing.

Meet the real Jacqueline
Away from the spotlight of politics and the pomp of being the former premier's wife, Jacqueline is just a simple 'girl' who first owned a pair of shoes when she was joining Senior One at Bweranyangi Girls School at 13.
She belongs to the generation of Ugandans who only came to the city to attend high school and lived the most basics of life, dreaming only of becoming a teacher.

"I wanted to be a teacher because this was the person we interacted with that we really respected. I couldn't say I wanted to be a nurse; I first saw a nurse when I was in Primary Six at Kisiizi Hospital," she explains.

The Mbabazis did not always have money either. Jacqueline, therefore, knows what it is to be a mother without means yet with a load of responsibilities.

"I got married to Amama Mbabazi at 18, in 1974, mainly to protect myself from Idi Amin's State Research operatives who had started abducting women from campus, and seemed to have a preference for the light-skinned ones."

Almost immediately, she became a mother before she was 20. "I had to mature very fast.

I was looking after a husband and I was studying, moreover in the science department studying Chemistry, Botany and Zoology. I had to learn to be a manager," recounts Jacqueline.

"We moved to Kitante Courts when we got married and were depending on our university hall allowances, which wasn't enough. I had to knit and crochet to make ends meet."

For most of their early marriage, she tended to her children alone, her husband usually disappearing for weeks on end sometimes because of the liberation struggle. "I had to be a bit more involved, becoming part and parcel of the covert activities.

My main role at the time was to keep their secrets and take care of a few people, without asking questions.

I was also involved in recruiting, getting people to go to the bush, providing them with identities, and providing all sorts of things. Life went on like that until 1979, when Idi Amin was overthrown."

Cost of the liberation
On March 29, 1981, Jacqueline had to leave her children behind after she jumped over a wall fence to flee from Obote's soldiers.

With the help of a German neighbour, they were reunited after about a week before they fled to exile in Kenya, with nothing, save for three dresses donated to her by friends.

She worked as a teacher to make ends meet for the three years they lived in Nairobi, before fleeing to Sweden.

In Sweden, she was a single mother, and a Masters student, a time she says was quite exhausting. This was made even more difficult by the fact that one of her children was a special needs child, again as a direct result of their involvement in the liberation struggle.

"When Amin was overthrown in 1979, it was difficult for us to flee from Kampala because we were part of the liberation movement, so, we stayed behind. Our house in Kisugu, where we were staying at the time, was hit by a rocket.

"I remember one of the children, the fourth born, who was about four months at the time, passing out for some minutes.

Later on, he was found to have brain damage as a result of the incident, which slowed him a bit," narrates the mother of five.
She admits to experiencing the fears and mixed emotions that come with such circumstances, but she soon busied herself with bringing this child up the best way she could, and still sees the good in the situation.

"In 1981, I was actually going to the bush because, being the scientist, I wanted to go to the bush to make improvised explosive devices. But because I couldn't leave this child with anyone else, it prevented me from that madness," she says, adding, "God has been good; we brought him up very well."

And it would seem that what defines the core of Jacqueline's nature is this determination to get and do whatever needs to be done, rather than wallowing in self-pity or cowering away.

"My simple childhood life taught me to share whatever little I have and to work hard. But it also taught me to run when life required me to run," she explains.

To date, Jacqueline does what she feels needs to be done, even when it is speaking out about a regime she is still passionate about.

It's all about love
Love seems to be another factor at the centre of what has shaped the woman that little Mukiga girl from Ruhindi turned out to be.

"We did not have much but we were rich because we had love. It made us comfortable, confident and happy," she says of her childhood. Closer to home, she says; "Amama has been a good husband to me. Why would I stick my neck out for him if he had been a bad husband running around? He made it easy for me to be his wife."

And to Jacqueline, being a wife goes beyond cooking food and keeping house. "A woman is the manager of the home, the comforter, pillar and psychologist for her family, ready to defend her family no matter what," she says.

"Amama is my best friend. Why would I break my best friend's heart?" Instead, she will defend him to the death, and in part reference to the recent political woes, she says she lives neither in fear nor regret.

"How can I be scared? I'm doing the right thing. I'm on the right path. Those who are on the wrong path should be scared but not me," she says. "And what has happened is not about my husband. I think whoever is "fighting my husband" is actually fighting democracy. I will continue to fight for democracy because this country needs it.

That's why people went to the bust to fight; so that we should see power changing hands through the ballot and not the gun."

Of her desired legacy, Jacqueline says; "I would want to be remembered as an honest, hardworking and generous person."

The Jacqueline I saw
We passed most of our time at her home in Kololo laughing about her past hardships. I also notice that she cannot help her mothering instincts as she keeps getting off the record to advise about motherhood, and how to be a successful woman and wife. It is a jolly good time with her.

Of course, I'm not oblivious to the fact that she could be putting up a show; we are, after all, the media and public figures have been known to seize the opportunity for positive press.
She would, however, have to be a professional actor to pull off such an impressive show of humility, cheerfulness, humaneness and down-to-earth nature for the more than three hours she hosted us at her home. And she would have had to coach everyone else I talked to about her.

ISSUES CLOSE TO MY HEART
Women's health
I will soon be 60 and I don't have any health issues; I don't take any medication. Some time back I took a decision to cut weight and I lost 26kgs in eight months through a combination of diet and workouts.

I go to the gym, at my home, for at least two hours every day. Some women go to the gym to socialise but you need to break a sweat for it to count.

Away from weight loss, exercise helps you keep fit, breathe and sleep better. I would like to beg women to take care of their health. Increase your fruit and vegetable intake and cut back on the meat.

Girl child education
Universal Primary Education registers a dropout rate of 71 per cent, most of them girls.

There are things we can do as mothers of the nation to help, such as providing basics like sanitary towels, and paying attention to the girl child, preventing early marriages and teenage motherhood.

Words of wisdom

To you with a special needs child
It is fine to be scared, but God creates these children and only gives them to couples he enables to raise them. Just love them, find something they are good at and focus on supporting them with that.

Mark is very good with computers and he manages our home. He does the shopping, monitors the power, and he even drives. These children can be empowered.

Thankfully, there is a special needs education policy too. What all children need is time. Love your children; don't pump them with material things.
If you are a "power couple"
When you are a public figure, you are accountable to more people. You need good marriages to be able to be successful. Take care of your marriages.

All men and women are the same. You won't get any better; work with what you have. Marriage takes tons of commitment, love and patience. Young couples are selfish and forget that now they are two.

To the wives and mothers
Do not ignore your responsibilities of nurturing and housekeeping. Instil a discipline of orderliness among the chil-dren or your home can end up being disorganised.

Be nice to your husband, be clean, be tidy; make him feel like he needs to be home at 5pm. Women have forgotten these responsibilities because they are corporate and want to go to the bar!

Personal finances
Women should invest, but first of all, they need to save. It can be difficult to save when you are already earning so little, but put away whatever little you can. Get piggy banks and drop in coins or notes every now and then, then use it to open a savings account. There will be that day when you need a fall back position.

Beauty tips
I like looking good but I don't use a lot of cosmetics, just a little to look presentable. But every woman should look brilliant and put on colourful clothes.

How I know Jacqueline

Mao K. Mbabazi, son

My mother is a very caring and loving mother. She loves children a lot, actually generally loves and helps people a lot.

She cares about what people are going through and tries to help where she can, not just for us her family, but everyone, as a mother, but also as a sister, relative and friend.

She is inspirational. One thing she taught me as a young boy growing up was not to put limits to what I can do. She said I should try and do my best and test the limits, no matter what."

Amama Mbabazi, husband

Jacqueline and I were married 41 years ago. Most people probably know her to be a formidable figure and she certainly is. What they don't know is that she is also generous and nurturing and what she loves most in the world is being a mother, grandmother and friend.

She is fair, always weighing situations without prejudice. Most of all, she is incredibly supportive. It's the combination of these things that has made Jacqueline a great partner.

I'm grateful to her, and to God for her companionship all these years."

Hope Mwesigye, sister

Jacqueline was brought up in a humble, God-fearing and loving family, which cherished values more than material things. She has supported many children, relatives and strangers alike, especially from northern Uganda.

She is concerned about safe motherhood and child mortality. At one time, she breastfed a baby until to walking age, whose mother had died in childbirth. She was a loving and caring child who shared everything with us. Even today, she will gladly share her last Shs100 with whoever needs it. She is a very good cook and loves her husband immensely."

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H.OGWAPITI
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"To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that  we are to stand by the president right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic  and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public."
---Theodore Roosevelt

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