Who is Sylvia Namutebi? Flash Uganda Media looks at her biography, age, husband, family, tribe, achievements, and relationship with Nangobi Safiina, Kigo, Prince Tebandeke Kimera, Ismail Ssegujja, Kezia Kulanama, Maj Muhammad Kiggundu, Pastor Wilson Bugembe, Budhagali, Jjumba Aligaweesa, the early life and education of a former leader of traditional healers in Uganda
Sylvia Namutebi, commonly referred to as Maama Fiina or Sophia Namutebi Sylvia is a well-known Ugandan herbalist, traditional healer and businesswoman.
She is a well-known supporter of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) and President Yoweri Museveni’s close friend.
Maama Fiina is also a former leader of traditional healers in Uganda having been elected in 2004. However, she has insisted to retain her authority even after a new President was elected.
Early Life and Education
Sylvia Namutebi was born on November 21st.
She draws attention because of her humble background as she rises to become one of the country’s most popular and prominent women.
Her poor background includes no formal education and working as a maid at first. While working as a housemaid, she gave birth to her daughter, Nangobi Safiina at an early age.
She subsequently decided to pursue a career as a traditional medicine woman, also known as a “witch doctor” among religious people.
Career and Professional Work Experience
Mama Fiina began her traditional medicine journey in the most basic of circumstances.
She began in Kazinga, Bweyogerere, Wakiso district. ‘ku Siteegi Y’abakyala’ (Women’s Drop off Stage) was the name given to this location. Taxi drivers and conductors gave it the name after transporting, dropping off, and transporting hundreds of pipe-smoking fans at the same location.
Mama Fiina began as a client of Kigo, a gentleman who was in the profession of black magic and pipe-smoking.
Kiggo and Mama Fiina would have an instant and tight black magic and pipe smoking association after befriending each other from the original servant-and-client relationship.
The relationship lasted for years until Mama Fiina chose to depart to start her own pipe-smoking business somewhere near the Sapoba Building in Katwe, Kampala Central Division.
She became so successful in this type of black magic trade that she has since branched out into a thriving women’s garbs business and counting.
Relationships
Sylvia Namutebi’s new partner was revealed to be Prince Tebandeke Kimera of Sweden whom she had been dating for several months as of 2020.
Traditional healer Sophia Namutebi married businessman Ismail Ssegujja at Kololo Mosque in September 2017, almost a year after her husband Maj Muhammad Kiggundu was cruelly assassinated (gunned down).
A few months later, she announced that she had obtained British citizenship to live with her husband, a British national of Ugandan background and origin.
Mama Fiina stated in her declaration that she planned to travel in 2018 with her daughter Nangobi Safiina, whom she claimed had also obtained British citizenship.
However, more than a year later, the Traditional healer had not yet departed the nation for the United Kingdom. According to reports, she was denied a visa to England by a British visa issuing agency in Pretoria, South Africa, who questioned her source of income.
Achievements and Awards
Sylvia Namutebi’s philanthropic efforts, in which she provides donations to the destitute, have made her one of the country’s most popular figures.
Maama Fiina has always supported musicians ahead of their concerts and other causes, and she did the same for Pastor Wilson Bugembe when he hosted his Katonda W’abanaku Mw’eno Ensonga concert in 2022.
Controversies
Budhagali and Jjumba Aligaweesa installed Kezia Kulanama alias Ssenga Kulanama as the new leader of Uganda Traditional Healers in July 2023.
However, the installation of Kulanama did not go well with Maama Fiina, who refused to retire despite calls from the people she has led.
She believes that the new leader possesses no spiritual abilities and as much as Kulanama claimed to control over nine groups of traditional healers, she had control over thirty groups.
Maama Fiina stated that she would cede power whenever she saw fit.
Maama Fiina publicly requested that Pastor Aloysius Bugingo and Wilson Bugembe conduct prayers during her funeral.
Mama Fiina remarked in response to the Catholic Church priests’ refusal to hold prayers for the late Hon. Kato Paul Lubwama.
According to the priests, the late Lubwama did not believe in God and always said that he believed in traditional healing.
According to Maama Fiina, nodding illness is a spiritual issue more than a physiological one.
She stated that the traditional healers determined that the ailment is caused by spirits, and under their umbrella organisation, Uganda Nedagalalyayo, she requested that the government include them in solving the mystery of the nodding disease.
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