Former minister of Ethics, Dr. Miria Matembe has had an eventful public life.
For those who may not know her very well, she has been an MP, minister and a strong proponent for women's rights in Uganda for over decades.
In an interview, Matembe said she wished to see a united country and a peaceful transfer of power before she die.
Excerpts below:
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What are some things that make you feel satisfied with your life?
Certainly, the most important thing that fulfilled me is that God enabled me to realize my childhood dream which I consider is purposeful for my life. I have been able to serve God purpose for my life. I do continue to serve to the glory of His name. Secondly, having a family at this particular time as you see me. What matters to me is not wealth, it is not those things of materialism but having a family.
My husband and I are now 46 years in marriage. We have got sons and daughters, grandchildren. What more do I demand of God? I am just here waiting for him to call me to his kingdom where I will be received as a daughter.
You talked about the fulfilment of childhood dreams, if you look back at your youthful time, did you set resolutions like the youth of today?
To be honest, when I grew up, I didn’t think I knew the word resolutions but what I did know is that I had a childhood dream to fight for women. Equally, I didn’t know those words but I wanted to fight. I had a dream of having a platform one day even at my village where I was born where I could stand up and call girls and women ‘come, let us refuse we are being cheated” that is what drove my life up to where I am now. Because I was clearly living in an environment that was clearly discriminatory against girls and women. Treating women and girls as not full human beings.
Did the inequality start in the house where you grew up from or within the society?
It started within my home as a child. As a child ,we were born five boys and four girls and I am the fourth child in my family. My father was good enough to take all his children to school because he loved education. I am not saying my mother because she didn’t have a right to participate in the decision making. But as we went to school, I was following my brother. We were a very peasant family, no school fees. You go to school, you are chased away and go back home.
My brothers’ school fees could be found within that same week or two days later but I would take like three weeks or a month without going back. When there are market days, I would not go to school in the afternoon but my brothers would go to school. So that (sunk) into my mind.
As if that was not enough, the children within the village, the girls of neighbours and friends around were not going to school but the boys were going to school. My mother was a leader of the mother's union. I could see women coming (at home) and crying to her, telling her their stories of suffering. I grew up in my mind (asking myself) why is a woman and a girl not treated as a boy or a man until I came to learn that women are treated like that.
What are some of those events in this country that you feel affected you more than you thought?
In this very country, what affected me most is the removal of the presidential term limits because it has been the cause of getting off the course for Uganda's progress. As I can tell you when you read my book the “Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Betrayed”, it is not these personal challenges that I was facing but the national challenges that came in.
Matembe, the lawyer, the women’s rights advocate and the Member of Parliament. In which of these capacities do you feel you impacted Uganda?
Let me tell you, I impacted Uganda right away from LC I because by the time I went on public platforms, the women's movement was there, they had struggled during independence time. I started from there. I started right from LC 1 through Parliament, constitution making and especially NGOs. We were out there for action for development for women, not just sitting. To climax it all, I found myself on the Uganda Constitution Commission as one of the two women members. I want to tell you that the constitution you see with all these women provisions (I am the one who did it). I am not going to blow my trumpet but God knows.
You were called so many things from being an angry person and much attention was drawn to your character. What kind of a person are you?
By the way one thing is for sure, I was unstoppable. They called me anything, ‘she hates men, she is destabilising society, she is breaking marriages’ but for me because I knew what I wanted, I wanted one thing, a girl and woman to be treated as full human beings within her own right. It was not about destabilising society. I managed to deal with the situation because this was God’s purpose for my life. Until you meet me and have a chat with me, you will have a different perception of me.
What is your relation with the first lady and when did you last have a personal conversation because we heard that you fell out with her?
We were best friends and I will tell you that I loved her with all my heart. She will tell you whether she also loved me with all her heart but I really know that we really loved one another. The last time we had a personal conversation was slightly before I opposed the removal of term limits. Ever since that time I have not had a personal conversation with the First Lady.
First of all, I have no power or right to call the First Lady to converse and therefore she would be the one to call me but I remember the last conversation on phone. It was so exciting. We were very happy but immediately after (removal) of term limit, closed chapter.
What of President Museveni?
The president called me three times, the third time I was not there. I had already left for America but after the removal of the term limit he called me not alone, with a team of people (women) and we talked to him. But the last time when I had a talk with the President Museveni it was when (Uganda was marking) 50 years of independence [in 2012].
The women movement organised a function and they gave us awards. I was an exception because I received two awards on that day. So, when they went to greet him, they said come and take a picture with the president, I didn’t want to go there but I felt in my heart... so I ran to greet him.
For the first time since we departed, I had not met him, so when I greeted him, he said ‘why did you decide to waste yourself.' By leaving him, he saw it as if I tortured myself.
Because I didn’t expect that question, I said ‘What is wrong with me? Don’t you see that I am even looking great?’ and we were even laughing. Then he said 'it is not good to beat your father.' I said, 'which father?'
My father on earth I am the one taking care of him and my father in heaven is taking care of me, so which father have I beaten? Then I walked away as we were laughing.
What makes you stand out from other women?
For me, I want to imagine that what made me distinct was the cause, the vision and the mission which was the purpose for my life. You need to know that for 17 years since I left public office, I have no position (in government). I am still distinct and I am still running the cause. Secondly, I continue to run the God purpose for my life.
What would you regret not seeing happening in this country before God calls you?
Before God calls me, what I would regret is to leave this country having failed to have one president handing over power peacefully to another president. (I would like) to see this country united as Uganda. To see all people considering themselves one, without tribalism, without ethnicity, without religious divisions but looking at themselves as Ugandans following one route.