I was reading through my grandfather’s notes at our ancestral home in Kifuuta, Kyotera, Buddu. At 99 years old, my grandfather, Muguluma, was living alone in a care home in the Kyotera Catholic Diocese, Room 068, surrounded by the smells of disinfectant and boiled vegetables.
My three children have houses and space in Kyotera and Masaka, but they rarely visit. I fell and needed stitches, and my daughter, Nakyajja, came five days later for only 30 minutes.
How I got to Kyotera Town, Buddu
After my wife died in 1998, my children convinced me to sell our paid-off house in Kifuuta, Buddu, in 2003 for UGX 245 million. I gave each child, Namaata, Nakyajja, and Kasekende, UGX 81 million, kept UGX 2 million for emergencies, and moved in with my daughter Namaata. It lasted eight months. She then rented me a small single-room place for UGX 900,000 per month. Within six years, my savings were drained. By 2012, I was broke. In 2013, at 91, I entered a care centre at the Kyotera Catholic Diocese. The Catholic Church now covered most of the fees.
My grandfather’s regret and lesson
He gave everything for 70 years: holidays, money, and his house. He thought it was what good fathers do. But when he became dependent and “no longer fun,” love did not pay bills or create choices.
If you do not keep your house, savings, and independence, you lose power. People, even your own children, treat you differently when you have nothing left. Be generous, but never leave yourself with nothing.
When he was near the end, his heart was weak. He hoped one person would hear this and keep their security.
“I have learnt a lot of things in Kifuuta, Kyotera, Buddu. This spiritual shrine is God’s heavenly school.”
