Cannon Maswere, believed to be the oldest living Umumasaba, is celebrating his 108th birthday today. According to Steven Masiga, the spokesperson for the Bamasaaba cultural institution, Maswere was born on July 27, 1917.
To validate his age, cultural records indicate he was circumcised in 1934 at the age of 17 and married his wife in the late 1930s. His eldest children are now in their early 80s.
Mzee Cannon Maswere had a teaching background and mentored many individuals, including the first Umukuka of the Bamasaaba people. He is also a respected author, having written several books on culture and Christianity.
Masiga notes that Maswere has outlived all of his contemporaries, stating there is nobody else in Masaabaland born in the 1900s who is still alive. “By birth, he is a year ahead of Nelson Mandela,” Masiga added.
“As a cultural institution, we celebrate the birth of our eldest Mzee Maswere,” Masiga said. “He is our living encyclopedia and is frequently consulted on matters of culture, etiquette, and other aspects of being a Bamasaaba.”
The Ankole Times is reporting on this centenarian’s birthday to celebrate his life, as it is often the case that newspapers only cover such individuals after they have passed away.
