I don’t marry a woman for labour - MP Mbidde

Why don’t you ever use your English name?
I just don’t use it often. If I were not a Catholic, I would have found it too European.

You have beautiful eyes; do other women always compliment them?
(Smiles)Thanks. Well, they do but I don’t know why. May be it’s because they are big.

What is your take on the Anti-gays Bill?
Uganda is known for being active in passing laws that do not necessarily apply to them because, for instance, I have never seen a gay person in Uganda. Don’t be surprised if next we pass a law banning people from going to mars. The question will be who was going to mars anyway? Homosexuality in Uganda was already outlawed in the Penal Code, the existing laws are enough.

And the Domestic Relations Bill?
It was unfortunate that people thought they could legislate on family values. If it had passed, it would have resulted into commercialisation of marriage the way it is in Europe and other common law countries.

Are you legally married?
Yes, I was traditionally introduced to the family of Bukomansimbi Woman MP, Susan Namaganda.

What is it like being married to a fellow MP?
It is an auto-drive scenario because she normally knows my schedule and I hers. It really feels nice because we have a wealth of things to talk about, similar friends and problems. When it comes to being a partner, she’s my guardian angel in a sense that she takes better decisions, and has worked a lot to turn people that would have been my enemies into friends. She has groomed me from a politician to a leader.

How many children do you have?
I think that’s a wrong question to ask an African man because all children are our children. But the public has also misunderstood me in a sense that when they see me helping some children, they think they are all mine. The size of my family is manageable.

How do you keep them away from the gossip in the tabloids?
I have no control over it, so, whenever it runs, I address the falsehoods that are published to the children. I believe that children must grow as partners, not prison inmates or have to defend you about things they do not understand. They need to know the truth from you.

What is your winning formula for wooing a woman?
I don’t think there is a formula that is known. For a relationship to grow, two people should be within the same education status because then, they will have similar things to talk about.

What was your first date like?
It didn’t make sense and was a result of peer pressure. I will spare the public the details.

Who do you consider to be the greatest woman in your life?
My mother and my wife. The rest are greater, but not greatest.

Do women love you because of your wealth?
I don’t think so. I have a lot of other advantages beyond money.

Have you been hit on by a woman?
Yes, when I was still approachable. Nowadays, they fear me. Besides, I’m not easily accessible.

Do you have stalkers?
Women are not direct, so, I can’t easily tell whether they are my supporters or stalkers. Besides, I have become a role model so I’m not able to differentiate between stalkers and the people who look up to me.

What advice can you give to a man on how to tell off a woman he doesn’t love anymore?
Being straight forward is the best solution because then the woman will know and understand what you have respectfully said.

What’s the strangest thing you have done for love?
Hmmmm…that will be the time I had to take my wife (Hon. Susan Namaganda) fuel in a jerrycan at around 3am during her campaigns. Her fuel had run out.

Which woman in Parliament do you admire?
The speaker, Rebecca Kadaga, for her leadership style and confidence even during emergencies.

What are the toughest choices you have made in life?
My first toughest choice was on graduation day. I was graduating with a bachelor’s of Mass Communication and immediately after graduation, I drove to the Faculty of Law to pick application forms to do law, a course that I would do for five years.
The other was deciding to contest for the East African Legislative Assembly post against the decision of friends to boycott the exercise. I was assisted by my party president (Norbert Mao) to successfully make it.

What do you admire most about a woman?
Women are very patient and more brilliant than we think.

And the worst?
The worst thing is when they turn a marriage certificate into a driver’s license. After marriage, the command post changes.

Career woman Vs a housewife?
I have never in my life fancied a housewife because we would not be in the same line of thought and the conversation wouldn’t flow. I don’t marry a woman for labour so why take a house wife?