Mary Tibamwenda during the interview
Mary Tibamwenda,79, vividly remembers what happened at Kikongoro hill in present-day Queen Elizabeth National Park in Kasese district when the late Queen Elizabeth visited Uganda in 1954. In April 1954, the Queen together with her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Phillip visited Uganda.
During the visit, Queen Elizabeth commissioned Owen Falls Dam in Jinja, met different kings in the country, and toured Kazinga National Park, which was later renamed Queen Elizabeth National Park in her honor among many activities. Tibamwenda was just 10 years old at that time. She was lucky to be among the few children who saw her Royal Majesty and even shook hands with her.
Our reporter found Tibamwenda at her home in Kabirenga village, Butiti Town Council, Kyenjojo district where she narrated memories of the day. Tibamwenda used to spend her holidays with her grandmother in Kyandulu village in Fort Portal town. This was the case in April 1954. Her father, who was the then headmaster of Nyantungo Primary school in Kyenjojo district landed an invitation to Kikorongo where the Queen was to meet different dignitaries from Western Uganda.
On his way to Kasese, he decided to go with Tibamwenda so as to drop her at the grandmother’s home. However, when they reached Kachwamba Trading Center in Fort Portal, Tibamwenda’s father changed his mind and decided to continue with her to Kasese and that’s how she got lucky to see the queen. Upon reaching Kikorongo, Tibamwenda explains that the first thing that caught her eye was the Girl Guides that were smartly dressed in khaki and blue skirts. She explained that she was amazed and admired their smartness.
She even still remembers the song that the Girl guides and scouts were singing on that day.
According to Tibamwenda, she could not take her eyes off the Queen when she arrived. “She was dressed in a floral white dress, white gloves, a white hat, and white shoes,” she recalled. She says that since they were children they were made to sit down in front of other guests and when the Queen was waving at the people, she stopped and shook hands with the children.
From what she saw as a child, Tibamwenda always dreamt of seeing the Queen one more time. In 1999, she went to the United Kingdom and visited Buckingham palace. Here, she met other people who had come to see the Queen, and the calm environment amazed her.
She says she was surprised by the way she found people respecting and loving the Queen. Tibamwenda said she was deeply saddened by the news of the death of the Queen.
She says that although the Queen died at an old age, she had admired her and taken her as a role model due to her calm character.
Tibamwenda’s encounter with the British Royalty didn’t stop at the Queen. In March 1965 when Princess Margret visited the Tooro Kingdom, the then King Omukama George Kamurasi Rukidi III invited her to dine with the Princess.
Queen Elizabeth, the longest-serving monarch died on Thursday last week. She will be laid to rest on Monday next week following a week of mourning.
-URN
