Interview by Susan Muyiyi
13 September 2008
Kampala — ATUKI Turner is the Executive Director of MIFUMI, a Tororo-based NGO that protects women and children against violence and abuse. She told Susan Muyiyi about her life and organisation.
Are you related to Tina Turner, the musician?
No. Many people assume that we are related. In fact I even have a key holder with the inscription: “No, I am not Tina Turner”.
What did people make of your decision to marry late in life?
Romance never featured early in my life. I was involved in one project after another and buried myself in novels. I also wrote plays. My friends and family said I should have been a man because I had so many ideas. Some didn’t think that I would ever get married.
When was your turning point?
I had no idea that advocating for a change in the cherished bride price custom would be so controversial. However, the resistance we faced made us fight harder.
Before this experience, my life had been pretty normal. My fight against bride price was a wake up call. I did fear for my life at some point but reasoned that we will all die someday. I learnt to stand by what I believe in. Fortunately, the people of Tororo are beginning to see our point of view.
We are not advocating for the practice to be abolished. We are saying that the bride’s parents should not demand a hefty bride price. But a token of appreciation can be given. Can the value of a woman be measured in monetary terms?
Did your husband pay dowry in order to marry you?
No. Before my father died, he never demanded for bride price when my sisters were getting married. When I introduced my husband to my family, it was considered a joke when one of my uncles asked about the cows.
Does growing older bother you?
There was a time when it did. When I was in my 30s I wondered where my youth had gone. What had I done with it? You get to enjoy life more when growing older because there is less inhibition. I, for instance, take walks in the fields barefoot, something I couldn’t do when much younger.
How did you know that Turner was Mr. Right?
Everything felt nice when we met in Kenya. I was totally myself and he loved me without any reservations. He invited me for a lecture in Nairobi. The next day, he asked me out for a movie which we didn’t watch.
We talked the entire time the movie showed. We never looked back. It happened so naturally, I guess when you meet your soul mate, you just know. My husband is my best friend.
Is there anything you would do differently if you had the opportunity?
I would have studied Education because I love imparting knowledge. I am a poet, scriptwriter, novelist and playwright. Through writing, I would have advocated for change in a gentle way.
I have written two novels – Mifumi’s on, my first, is about my dad and growing up during Idi Amin’s time. It is still being reviewed by Fountain Publishers.
7 things about Atuki Turner
Dancing
My friends and family used to call me a queen dancer because I used to hold it up on the dance floor alone. I love Tina Turner’s song, What’s Love Got To Do With It. Her story inspires me.
Family
I have one daughter: June. My plan was to have three children but that has not come to pass. For sometime, MIFUMI, the project, was the only baby I had. Family is everything to me. I realise how important it is as I grow older. I come from a close-knit family of 11 children.
My mother and I are very close. I am the fourth born. Family defines stability. I am very proud of them. They inspire me.
Marriage
Women should get married when they are mature. It is not only about gliding down the aisle in a white gown with stars in your eyes but a venture one should be prepared for. First establish your own identity. But most importantly, make sure that you are economically independent.
Before settling down, first pursue your career prospects. Bring something
to the marriage and not just the that fact that you are a woman. Your children will grow and eventually leave your home. Life shouldn’t become empty for a woman when that happens.
That is why I think that Abdul Mulaasi’s song, Contract, has a lot of truth in it. I have seen many women being divorced by their husbands and sent away emptyhanded. I think couples need
to sign a contract stating their expectations in the marriage, how they want to be treated and the responsibilities each party should fulfill.
Happy Moments
One of my happiest moments is when I am having a conversation with my friends. By the way, I have very few close friends. Besides that a good novel makes my day.
Sad Moments
Seeing children suffer. As a child, I witnessed my brothers suffer from sickle cell anemia. Otherwise, I am generally a happy person. I don’t allow sad moments to put me down for long.
Feminism
I am a feminist, but that does not mean that I am a manhater. I believe that men and women are different, but have the same value as human beings.
Matters of Faith
When I was growing up, my ambition was to become a saint. I used pray every morning while at Mount St. Mary’s College, Namagunga. I cannot