The Hajji Hassan Kibirige Interview with the Torch Newspaper
Abbey.K.S
The Hajji Hassan Kibirige Interview with the Torch Newspaper
Hajji Kibirige with his wife.Sharing a smile is Dr.Sawuya and her friend from US
Hajj Kibirige went to school with Islam Ali Kulumba (RIP), whenever he was out of his home, Kulumba would take over as the head of the family and the reverse is true. At the time of Kulumba’s passing on, he was taking care of Hajj Kibirige’s home who was in UK. HAMZA KYEYUNE caught up with him at his home and brings us the heart throbbing interaction.
Hajj, tell us about your early years
Hajj Kibirige Hassan is my name, I was born in Kawempe in 1918, to hajj Musa Kakande, he owned large chunks of land in kawempe and bwaise, his brother Hajj Musa Kasule owned large chunks of land in wandegeya, actually many people refer to hajj Musa Kasule as the founder of Wandegeya town. This is because he was the first person to allow Indians construct shops on his land.
That’s interesting! So, you had your education in Kawempe where you were born?
Partly, there were no many schools around at that time, the biggest part of the area was bush, plantation and coffee plantations. Where you see Bilaal Islamic today, the whole of Bwaise, that was a swamp, only places (people’s homes) where Qur’an was taught is what existed as schools if I may say. I attended primary school in Nakanyonyi (kalagi-Naggalama), then concentrated on Qur’an studies. My mentor Sheikh Lubowa, mentored sheikh Mayanja, and Sheikh Islam Ali Kulumba .
And you have such a big family?
Big with my grand children and grand grand children, I was blessed with 23 children although some of them have passed on. Thirteen of these are Medical doctors and others have master’s degrees and PhD’s in other disciplines.
Although I was not a very rich man, I do not complain over anything.All my children got good education, I may say Allah brought academic luck in my house through my son Omar Kasule (now professor).when he sat P.7, he became the first in the whole country. The then Minister of Education Zaake Luyimbazi picked interest in knowing who this young man was that had come on top of every other pupil in the country. So, we met Zaake and he was surprised to learn that Omar Kasule was a grandson to Hajj Musa Kasule.
Was it that surprising to learn that Hajj Musa Kasule had a grand son?
To Zaake Luyimbazi yes, because when he was a student at Makerere, he used to stay at Hajj Musa Kasule’s home so, Omar Kasule’s excellent performance impressed Zaake so much. And as fate would have it, His Highness the Agakhan came to Uganda that year. Because Agakhan liked children so much, Omar Kasule, a P.7 graduate was selected to read the speech before his highness, which he ably did and since then, the family name prospered in leading schools in Uganda. Before the Agakhan left, he offered to construct a secondary school at Kibuli, the Buganda government had offered up to P.6. So, Omar Kasule and most of my children went through Kibuli SS and Makerere University.
Are all the thirteen doctors you told me about working here?
Almost all my children are living in the diaspora. Prof. Omar kasule is in Brunei, Institute of Medicine, University Brunei , Professor, Dr. Abdullah Kirumira, the Acadia University President’s Entrepreneurial Award recipient, is an entrepreneur and innovator who has enjoyed world-wide success. He is a former biochemistry professor at Acadia University and is currently the President and CEO of Biomedica Diagnostic Systems in Windsor, Nova Scotia. He is the inventor of groundbreaking rapid HIV test. Dr. Sawuya (the one you found me welcoming home) is a medical doctor in USA, she has come to check on me, Nuru Kigundu (married to Dr.Badru Kiggundu EC Chairman) is in USA, Dr.Jingo Ahmad in USA, Dr.Mustafa Kibirige in USA, others in UK and two in Saudi Arabia. I think I have only three or four of my children living here in Uganda.
In 1940’s, Hajj Kibirige and other farmers engaged the colonialists in running battles protesting the ownership of coffee and cotton factories that were all manned by foreigners. The Torch’s HAMZA KYEYUNE brings you the first hand story as told to him in the second part of his encounter with Haji Kibirige.
You told me President Museveni called you over your son, what was it about?
In 2007, I was in my home, I received a call from State house, I was told the president needs to speak with me, the president asked me whether I was the biological father of Dr.Abdallah Kirumira, I laughed and told him yes, he then asked me where I educated him, I told him it was in my humble school I constructed in Bugerere, we talked as parents and he thanked for having educated my son. In fact when the Queen was coming here to Uganda in 2007, the Uganda government sent my son an invitation from Canada to come and welcome the queen, after the queen had left, he stayed behind on the request of the government for one and a half weeks drilling doctors at Mulago hospital. The president offered to buy some of the medical diagnostics medical machines Dr Abdullah makes.
You told the president you constructed a school? You must have been a rich man! Which school is that?
(Laughs) I was not such a rich man, the school is called Kamuli Muslim Primary school in Bugerere, actually I constructed it with the help of my son in law Dr Sulyman Kiggundu (RIP) the former governor, Bank of Uganda and former Managing Director, Greenland Bank (who married my second daughter). He gave me about 100 iron sheets. It is about the same time I was managing Kangulumira coffee factory.
Kangulumira coffee factory was another investment you had?
It was cooperative society started by blacks in protest of the Indian dominance. It started with demonstrations, Coffee and cotton were the major cash crops for Uganda but all coffee and cotton factories were headed by Indians yet it was the blacks that grew the coffee and cotton. So, the blacks demonstrated against that, the colonialist feared and allowed Ugandans to start up their cooperative societies. Me and seven other people formed Kangulumira coffee growers, I was the chairman, I led a campaign drive encouraging Ugandans to join us and in a short period of time, Kangulumira Coffee factory grew into one of the biggest Ugandan owned coffee factory in Uganda. While there, King Muteesa-II appointed me as chief of Busujju, where I served for 8years, he appointed Kulumba (RIP) to Ssingo, I was later transferred to Buwekula where I served for 4years.
You keep mentioning Sheikh Islam Ali Kulumba, anything special about him?
Yeah, that is true, whenever I was out of my home, he would take charge of my home and the reverse was true. So, the last time we talked, he escorted me to Entebbe, I was travelling to London. He remained in charge of my home as usual, but after three days, they told me he had died. I could not come to attend burial for my friend, but we held several Duwas for him in London.
At that time, he was the Lukiiko speaker, am told he woke up as usual and prepared himself to attend the lukiiko which was to be addressed by the Kattikiro Mulwanyamuli Ssemogerere. He had his last Sunnah prayer at 11 a.m. at Bwaise Mosque before proceeding to the Lukiiko meeting The Lukiiko started normally, his deputy presided over the proceedings, Kulumba sent for a bottle of mineral water and a cake while preparing for his speech. A few sips and bites later, he collapsed in his seat. He was rushed to Kibuli hospital only to be pronounced by the doctors dead before he received medical attention.