INTERVIEW: Pastor Martin Ssempa on Bobi Wine

Pastor Martin Ssempa’s Liteside

Any three things that we don’t know about you?

I am courageous, original, and faithful.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

I am always happy. But I also love a good joke and I don’t take life too serious even when I go through very tough times.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

Sometimes I love and share too much because I am too trusting. I have discovered that not everybody is trustworthy.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Being a devil agent; I can’t work with people of such character.

Which living person do you most admire?

I admire people of courage, those who promise and fulfill; especially when their courage is tested. I admire Speaker Kadaga; especially at a time when she signed the Anti-homosexuality Bill because she did it for the children of Uganda. I also admire President John Pombe Magufuli for standing up against homosexuality. I admire Jennifer Musisi for doing an incredible job in Kampala under great difficulty.

What is your greatest extravagance?

I like electronics and technology.

What is your current state of mind?

I am a happy person.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

We are obsessed with politics to the extent of making it appear like the only thing that we should look at. There are many other things like religion and culture that require more time. In this country, you are judged basing on whether you are pro or anti-government.

What does being powerful mean to you?

Being righteous, prayerful and listening to God. Such people are disproportionate with what they are in the physical world.

On what occasion do you lie?

I tell lies but I also try to correct with the truth.

What do you most dislike about your appearance?

My appearance is a heavenly job.

Which living person do you most despise?

I despise wicked people because God tells me and Satan has made them be what they are. I also despise people who are not faithful; they say something and do the reverse.

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

God fearing and industriousness.

What is the quality you most like in a man?

God fearing, faithful and responsible.

What or who is the greatest love of your life?

My wife and children.

When and where were you happiest?

The day my wife said yes to my marriage proposal in 1990 while seated at the mosque in Wandegeya. I was very excited on my wedding day in 1992. Every moment that I return home to meet my wife and children brings me great joy.

Which talent would you most like to have?

I wish I could sing and preach at the same time. I would communicate better.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I would like to get more muscles so I could breakdance again.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Being faithful to my wife for 27 years despite coming from a society whether polygamy is a way of life.

Where would you most like to live?

I love Uganda; there are many problems within but its beauty is unmatched.

What is your most treasured possession?

My bible is food for my spirit, food that guides me and sharpens me.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Not having good washrooms is dehumanising. Everybody should have access to good washrooms but it’s not something that we think about as a priority.

What is your favorite occupation?

I like teaching people the truth.

Who are your favorite writers?

The value of information and skill of the writer. One of the most valuable books is one written by John Roscoe; he wrote the ‘Culture and Peoples of Buganda’ which documents the DNA of a muganda. There is no book that has helped me understand myself and my people better. Martin Luther King is also rhetoric.

Which historical figure do you most identify with?

Alexander MacKay came into this country when the king called for missionaries. He was a faithful and industrious young man who made such incredible sacrifices for this country. Uganda is built on Christian foundations because of him.

Who are your heroes in real life?

My mother did incredible stuff with great difficulty.

What is your greatest regret?

Sometimes I look back and conclude that I have been too dramatic. At times I think that I shouldn’t have presented my thoughts that way.

How would you like to die?

I would like to write a list of my procession and sleep away in the company of my family and friends like personal pastors.

What is your motto?

If you stand by me, I will stand by you.

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