What is Really Behind Name Changing by Ugandan Politicians?

Simple instinct can drive you to the conclusion that it is  just about names for election purposes but try to scroll further down and you will find the actual intention.

When you try to ask proponents of some strange things to show you which other country has done the same, they will tell you “don’t compare Uganda with other countries we are unique”.

Many names in our case are not changed by their owners but by different officers and registrars.

They ask for your first name then other names.

 If you record Hussein Silman Kyanjo they will register Kyanjo Hussein Silman you tell them you are Timothy Kyasanku Serunjogi they change it to Serunjogi Timothy Kyasanku you tell them James William Kinobe they record Kinobe James William. This has happened variously at passport office, at issuance of drivers licence at education institutions.

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When you receive your passport after that long wait, you go by what they have written because either way you are same person and this is not true to Uganda only but across the world.

If you are receiving money from abroad the sender will ask you to give her your names as they appear in your preferred document and that is all.  When you are in E. Africa they will prefer to put the non religious name first when you are in EuroAmerica or middle East and Asia they will prefer to start with your religious name because our indigenous names are hard for them to pronounce.

Look at names like Chebrot, Otafire, Bambalazaabwe, Sewandagi and others. I have a brother Umar Juma Nsereko who studied in Libya and all his undergraduate certificates bear the name Nasereko instead of Nsereko!

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The main principle is that you are the same person.

Remember also that the phrase “other names” is new – it only came after complaints by Muslims before that it was “first name then Christian name”.

Some people have lived with project names like Chefe Ali, Salim Saleh and others. I don’t have much knowledge about Chefe Ali but l shared a desk in class and a dormitory with Saleh at Kako Primary Sch. His  true name was George Akandwanaho.

If a lady Patricia Akello, gets married to John Otim she becomes Patricia Otim.  If there was a contest she just brings the academic and marriage certificates and that’s all.

Ask yourself why have we lived with our changing names for decades and it turns into a big issue over night?

I want my reader to carefully study the pattern of happenings in Uganda since 1986 and don’t take it for granted. I suspect and therefore announce to Ugandans that this name thing is intended to end up in the LAND REGISTRY where they have discovered that many land titles are registered in names arranged differently from those that appear in passports or National ID.

New and young land grabbers are going to occupy peoples land by force. The owner say Phoebe Nalweyiso Kasumba will be advised to go to court where she will present her supporting documents which will be used to tell her that she is not the rightfull owner because the title reads Nalweyiso Phoebe.

Please get prepared for a bigger war. You are being ruled by un educated and crafty gang.

Stand warned.

Hussein Kyanjo

The writer is Hussein Kyanjo former MP representing Makindye West and founder member of the Justice Forum-JEEMA and their former Secretary General

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