Ben Karebere is a 40 year old bicycle repairer from Bulenga has keenly pointed at President Yoweir Museveni as his biological father despite of him ignoring this. He poured out his frustrations, stating that he is tired of wallowing in abject poverty and wants to go home.
When asked why he was claiming he was the president’s son this is what he said. “I am not claiming! I am the president’s son,” came Benon’s sharp retort. “How can I go about claiming to be somebody’s son? He is my daddy and I am his son”, he stated. It was immediately obvious to us that nothing ticks him off as much as anyone suggesting he is “claiming” to be the president’s son.
“I was born in January 1977 in Ntungamo when daddy was involved in battles in Tanzania. My mother was a married woman when she met daddy. When I was born, my appearance was far different from the other two children so my stepfather chased my mother out,” he said.
“She carried me along and we sought refuge at my maternal grandfather’s place. My grandfather did not take me to school. He was a herdsman so as I grew up, he introduced to the kraal and I started help with grazing.
He had a son called Mugume who offered to teach me hands-on skills at fee. I sold poles and my goats to get the fees to learn from his workshop. They used to call me “Kadogo”. I started learning at 13 years and was chased away after a spanner got lost,” Benon explained how he came to possibly be the only ‘president’s son’ in the world that is illiterate.
“In 2000, my mother was very ill. She had been very sick for two years and had no help. So one day I was found her struggling on the bed and asked to help her because she was struggling for her life.” It was at that point that he said he felt compelled to ask about the whereabouts of his father.
“I asked her, “Nyabo, I want to know my father. The two kids know their father but who is my father?” She broke down and confessed that I was the son of the president! I had been hearing rumours that I had a different father.
Also when they were addressing issues and needs of the other children, I was excluded. She revealed to me that the soldiers were very mobile and she had had a relationship with daddy. I was really not excited because I am a ‘villager’”. His mother later passed away but for Benon, it was only the beginning of his quest to meet his “father”.
