I was happy to pay bride price for her

Vianney and Harriet Wampamba during their traditional marriage ceremony – kwanjula. Photo by Edgar R. Batte 

By Edgar R. Batte
Posted 


Thursday, April 28  

2016 at 

01:00

In Summary

Great love. When Vianney Wampamba, a project planning and management trainer with Missionaries of the Poor, a Catholic NGO, met Harriet Birungi, little did he know that it was the beginning of a lifelong relationship that would result in marriage. Attending Mass at Christ the King church together later gave birth to several dates and at in late 2014, Birungi, a health club officer at Kampala Serena Hotel, agreed to marry Vianney. They talked to Edgar R. Batte about their experience in marriage.

How did you meet Harriet?
I usually attend a lunch hour mass at Christ the King Church, Kampala so one time I sat on the same pew with her. And it so happened that I got a chance to see her for more than two times. We became familiar. One time, she invited me to attend Easter prayers with her at Our Lady of Africa Church, Mbuya. From there we started seeing each other more often.

What did you tell her when you first sat with her?
I said, ‘hello sister’.

And what was her reply?
‘Yes, good afternoon’, she replied, and she sounded so emphatic that she scared me.

What attracted you to her?
I admired her devotion to mass.

Why do you take mass so important?
As a catholic, mass is the remembrance of Jesus’ death and resurrection and it is the most sublime mystery that we celebrate as Catholics daily. All good works ever performed since the creation of the world, even if joined together, can never equal a single mass in value.

Did you fall for her physical beauty too?
Of course, I was moved by her smile.

Were you immediately attracted to her?
Not really, for she appeared tough and reserved until I heard from her. Later on, I found out that she was a principled woman who sticks by what she believes in.

How did you find this out?
Through her stories I was able to find out. She is outspoken on matters of her religion, and culture and she lives openly and freely to them.

At what point did you start developing feelings for her?
After the Easter prayers we attended together. We also had lunch together. That day we shared stories freely and I realised we had a lot in common. She didn’t sound far from what I also cherish.

What did you have in common, and what did you cherish?
A lot but at least a strongly-willed Catholic Muganda who is patient, educated and from a good family. These were good yardsticks to measure out my future wife.

How did you start plotting to win her heart?
I increasingly became closer to her. I would surprise her by picking her up from work and pushing her up to their home but above all I became interested in everything concerning and around her.

What was her reaction to all this?
She seemed appreciative but cautioned me to slow down.

Where you rushing?
I think that’s how she interpreted it but to me it was an expression of my feelings.

How were you expressing your feelings?
By getting interested in everything of hers. I frequented the places she went to.