Douglas Lwanga: Why I got married at 25 - Douglas

Your wife refused to do a joint interview with us. Do you know why?
She is a private person who does not want her life out there in the media and her decision has to be respected. On the other hand, I’m an open person. You can ask me any question you want and I will gladly answer it.

Okay, fair enough. For how long have you been married?
Honestly, I do not quite remember the year. But one thing I am certain of is that I got married when I was 25 years old while she was 24.

You do not remember the year you exchanged your marital vows?
(Pauses for a moment) You see, for us men, it is not easy to remember such things unlike the women. But I think it was 2010, the same year we got engaged.

You married quite young
Yes, I did. It was a decision I made because I felt that was the appropriate time to settle down. The regrets for marrying only come in whenever my wife and I are having fights in our marriage, just like any other couple out there. You tend to ask yourself why you got married in the first place.

And how do you resolve such issues?
Most times, I just keep quiet and cool off by doing something on my computer. This also gives her time to calm down. We eventually find that the situation easily returns to normal.

Do you have any children?
One, a three-year-old son.
What parenting lessons have you learnt from raising your son?
I have come to understand the kind of sacrifices my parents made while raising me. What I’m going through as a parent now is what they went through as well and I have come to appreciate that parents are such a blessing from God.

What principles do you apply in your marriage that have actually worked for you?
It takes a lot of patience to make things work in any marriage. It is why I would never advise any one to go into it when they are not ready.
People should also desist from giving in to pressure from their parents and relatives to settle down. The things that happen in marriage are more than meets the eye.

Is there any person in your family you do not get along with?
No, probably because our family is a small one. Those things of not getting along with people mostly happen in extended families.

Point out the most terrifying moment of your life so far.
About two years ago, thieves broke into my house at about 4am. They were four, wearing masks and carrying pangas.
They wanted to steal property and were threatening to kill me and the other three people in the house. We screamed loudly until someone from outside fired two bullets into the air. They ran when they heard the gunshots.

What did you do after the incident happened?
I decided to shift from that residence on Salama Road, in Makindye Division, Kampala, to another location.

What advice do you have for young married couples?
Look and seek for help but know that at the end of the day, it is about you and the person with whom you share a roof.
It is not bad to ask for help from friends and relatives but do not make decisions basing on whatever they tell you to do. Everything has to be between you and your partner. You should not base your relationship on other people’s views.

Me and my work

What else do you do besides television presenting?
I am into graphics work as well as acting. I have featured in stage performances.

Have you ever lost your temper while on air?
No, never. I find that very unprofessional. However, when I was still presenting the show alone, that is before Sheila Gashumba and Dave Dash joined recently, I invited a guest who lost his cool during the interview, live on air.

Who was this guest and what exactly did you say that annoyed him?
It was local artiste, Radio. He got annoyed after I asked him to verify a story a tabloid had written that fellow musician Lillian had denied that he was the father of her unborn child.
I remember he really got irritated and said he did not want anyone talking about his family. I had to drop the subject immediately.