This archive report was first published on 15 October 2019.
On October 15, 2019, a remarkable story emerged from Ruyonza, one of Uganda's most polygamous villages, where 94-year-old Nulu Ssemakula announced his decision to marry four more wives.
According to Ssemakula, this move aligns with his long-held desire to have a large family, which he believes translates to wealth.
Speaking to Uganda's Daily Monitor, Ssemakula expressed his intention to continue expanding his family, stating, 'I, unfortunately, lost four of my wives while others who needed more than I could afford, I let them go. But they left me with children; I will still marry more if I still have more years and even have more children. In children and wives, is where I find my pleasure. That is my true wealth.'
Currently, Ssemakula lives with 66 of his children, including a 10-month-old infant, and his youngest wife, who is 24 years old and expecting a child.
He has also established Kiyombero Primary School to accommodate his numerous school-going children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Additionally, Ssemakula operates a coffee huller and a dairy milk cooling machine, which generates income for the upkeep of his large family.
One of his wives, Arinaitwe, shared her perspective on their harmonious marriage, saying, 'We might be co-wives but we love and treat each other like sisters. This harmony in our marriage comes from our husband, whom we also treat as a father. None of us, I think cheats on him, he is more than 90 years but when he gets to you, he has the energy of a 30-year-old. He has no illness and he never complains of anything. He gives us everything we need.'
