Ssenga Sheikh Joweria Aliza

The last meeting with my ssenga, July 2008

Lately, I have taken an interest in our clan and I am documenting its history. In August 2010, I had the opportunity to interview 3 senior uncles and an aunt. They are spread throughout all the districts of Busoga. (I was in Jinja, Kamuli, Luuka and Iganga districts) I decided to talk to a few of them at a time. Ssenga Aliza Joweria was on the list of those to be talked to.

However, that was not to be. I took much longer with her senior sister at Mutai, near Jinja than I intended. I decided to postpone going to her place to this December when I travel home. Her home is in Kabukye, off the Jinja Kamuli road.

That was not to be. Yesterday when I talked to my sister, Asha, she gave me the bad news that she died 2 weeks ago! This is one of the few deaths that I didn’t learn about for all that long, considering the fact that she was a darling of all of us. In most cases, I who lives abroad sometimes informs the ones in Uganda over the loss of relatives!

Ssenga Aliza

Anyhow, the late Ssenga Sheikh Joweria Aliza was born on 2^nd July 1925 at Bute. Her mother was called Zainabu Namulondo of the Mukose clan. Our grandfather used to record all births and deaths of his children. I am privileged to have a copy of most of his writings, letters, receipts, children’s school reports etc. She was one of over 50 children.

I last saw her way back in July 2008 when I visited her at her house in Kabukye. My sister Liz and late brother Billy accompanied me. It was a surprise visit and we found her having lunch. It was cassava and katunkuma- (bitter peas?). She shared her lunch with us and I really enjoyed the tasty cassava given the flatness of our cassava here!

My further research on our family will reveal why she was called a sheikh.

May the almighty rest her soul rest in peace.

Ali, late Ssenga and Liz at her house in Kabukye