By Perez Rumanzi
It was all merry-making at Rugando village in Rwamapara, Mbarara District as hundreds blessed the giveaway ceremony for a set of twins to twins from different families at one reception.
The twins Babirye Priscilla and Nakato Pereth are daughters of the Late Kaddu Ssalongo of the same village. They were given away to Mr Asiimwe Edward a businessman in Mbarara town of Ibanda District; and Mr Amos Besigye the Ntungamo district fisheries officer who hails from Bugamba in Rwampara District, respectively, on Saturday.
“God has enabled me to see what I have not seen in the past 70 years of my life, I have seen double weddings, I have seen double give-aways but I have not seen twins being given away at the same time and to people who are born as twins. I think this is fundamental in lives of the people who have taken them and those who have attended this function,” Retired Bishop of Ankole Diocese Rt. Rev. Dr George Tibesigwa said while preaching at the function.
He said while twins are born at one time it’s always hard for them to follow similar trends in life and some even have conflict, but the fact that these particular twins got married at the same time is a symbol of great upbringing and family unity.
As the twins were ushered in for the first ceremony of the introduction, the crews of the would-be grooms were signaled to each pick their bride as people stared on in amusement, waiting to see if the groups would pick the right bride, owing to the fact that the two women are of the same size, height, have the same walking style, and were dressed the same.
According to the Ankole culture, the groom’s sisters pick the bride from among many women, with a message from the groom, and the bride later introduces the man of her choice to her parents. However, one groom’s sisters from Ibanda District could not identify the right wife so both grooms’ sisters choose the same bride. The other bride remained alone for awhile before the sisters retracted and turned back to her.
“I was equally confused when the two came out and I could not tell who my wife was as they came out. I may have committed the same mistake if I was to choose,” Mr Besigye, sympathetic on behalf of his sisters’ dilemma said, shortly after the introduction.
Similar wreaths, suits and gifts from the grooms were brought in.
Ms Pereth Nakato says the two planned to have this since they were children and have since turned down several proposals to wait for each other.
“When we were in primary, no one used to differentiate us, one of us would be punished for what the other had done. That was when we decided that we shall get married on the same day. I think this is the greatest thing that ever happened to us and we shall relive it till we die,” she said.
The function at Muhumuza gardens attracted over 1,000 people who included politicians, church leaders and businessmen from Mbarara, Ibanda and Ntungamo districts.
