At 100, Maswere launches a book

Kolliab Maswere holds his book that he launched on his 100th birthday. PHOTO BY RACHEL MABALA

What you need to know:

  • As a businessman, Kolliab Maswere did not become the oldest person in Mbale District by accident. He knew that what you put into life determined how much you got out of it, and how long the benefits would last, as David Mafabi found out.

On a rainy evening on June 6, 2017, I travel to Busano Sub-county, on the slopes of Mt Elgon in Mbale District to meet 100-year-old Canon Kolliab Maswere who is among the oldest people in Uganda.
Even in his advanced age, Maswere is neat. His hair is short and well-kempt. Age has not bent him; he reads, writes, and is a choir master at Busano Church of Uganda. Interestingly, he stands in his shop, most of the day, doing business. Maswere welcomes me and searches around in his shop until he finds a wooden seat for me. Throughout the interview, he remains standing.
He begins the conversation by telling me he has written an autobiography which he launched on June 9, 2017 at Emin Pasha Hotel in Kampala. The centenarian was born on May 27, 1917, in Bungwanyi village, Buyaka parish in Busano sub-county, on the day his elder brother was circumcised. His mother died when he was one year old and he was taken to live with his mother’s relatives in Buwanyange village, Bulambuli District.

Mr Kolliab Maswere gives a speech about his education foundation on his 100th birthday. PHOTO BY RACHEL MABALA


“When I was 10 years old, I came back to my father’s home and became a herdsman. At that time, few people were going to school but I resolved to join the church and pursue my education through it.”
Maswere would abandon his father’s cattle to the care of his friends and run to church after hearing the drumbeat that indicated the start of writing and reading lessons. “One day, my friends reported me to my father after the cows had destroyed a neighbour’s gardens. He beat me, and later disowned me. I went to live with my maternal uncles. Fortunately, they encourage me to continue with education and later, I went to live with my parternal aunt in Mafudu, Bundege. When my elder sister Manjeri Natsala, got married to a man from Buikwe, I moved with her to her husband’s home.”
In Buikwe, Maswere began his studies in Primary Two at Kizigo Sub-Primary School and was baptised in 1934 by Bishop Cyril Edgar Stuart. In 1935, he returned to Nabumali in Mbale to continue his education in Primary Three.
“My father had come to know the value of education and encouraged me. In 1936, I joined Nambulu Boarding Primary School. In 1939, after Primary Six, I joined Buwalasi Primary Teachers’ College and I graduated in 1941.”
Maswere has taught in Nanyere, Mulatsi, Nabumali, Busano and Burukulu primary schools. He got married in 1945 and together with his 94-year-old wife, they have seven children.

Kolliab Maswere at the age of 100, he has an education foundation that he setup to help the needy children. PHOTO BY RACHEL MABALA


In 1967, Maswere retired and became a trader in Mbale municipality. Later, he moved to Busano Trading Centre. “I rent out my shop in Mbale along Cathedral Avenue which I acquired from the Custodian Board in 1972.”
Maswere is also a marriage counsellor at his church. Because of his love for education, he started Kolliab Education Foundation in Busano to sponsor 10 children to secondary school every year.

Maswere’s tips for a long life

Mind your own business
Stress is a silent killer. It can take years off of your life, and in some cases, it can end it. I focus on my own life and I do not compare it to that of my peers or neighbours.

Avoid junk food
I do not eat junk food. And it is not a good idea to fill your mind with junk thoughts or your day with junk energy or your life with junk people. The work you do, the enthusiasm you bring to life, the people you hang out with — these are not just life decisions; these are health decisions that affect your life. Fill your plate with natural foods and you will go from overweight to overjoyed. I eat vegetables with every meal and I eat beef twice a week.
Exercise regularly
Every day, I walk up the hill and back. Even standing in my shop all day is enough exercise to remain fit.

Fear God and be prayerful
The Bible says God wants to assist us live a healthy life and He has given those who believe in Jesus a helper, the Holy Spirit. One of the many blessings we receive as believers is that we have God’s power in us to live the kind of life that He wants us to live and this includes the ability to make desired lifestyle changes. That is why you need to always pray to Him for a health life.