Rogers Murungi and Aline Kalisa
Although love can turn sour, it is still magical. Rogers Murungi has faced a fair share of the two sides. A bad breakup tore deep into his heart and shuttered his world. He would go to a hangout, cover his head in a hoody and sit in a corner as he struggled with emotions.
He chose to switch off his phones as he sought composure. However, along the way, he started making friends, among them fellow churchgoer, Aline Kalisa at Miracle Centre Cathedral. They would often exchange pleasantries until one day they met at Cafe Javas in Kampala where he asked for her mobile phone number. She noticed he was a good-looking man with a sense of style.
However, he was struggling. His marriage was breaking up and he wished he could talk to her. Months went by and one day, when he noticed Kalisa participating in the Miss Mads pageant at their church, he offered to pay for her outfits. She laughed it off, concluding he knew nothing about women’s fashion.
Date
Then, he asked to take her out to Caramel Café in Kampala. She accepted and when they met, he opened up about what he was going through. His home was in ruins; he had two children to take care of and was deeply wounded. She became a friend he seriously needed at the time. She was a good listener and then a counsellor.
She was the first woman to give him flowers and also went out of her way to look for him when his phones were off.
“I would call his friends to find out where he could be. One day I found him seated in a corner at Dons Spa in Kololo, Kampala. He was so sad,” Kalisa recounts.
He appreciated her sacrifice and requested to meet her father, to which she agreed. When the three met, Kalisa’s listened to Murungi’s story and was shocked at how he was handling it all.
Murungi took this chance to ask Kalisa’s father for permission to date his daughter. Because he liked the traits of being God-fearing, respectful and trustworthy, Kalisa’s father gave Murungi the blessing to date his daughter and even asked if he could take the children under their care. After this meeting, their bond grew.
On October 9, 2022, with his sister, Murungi was invited by Kalisa’s mother for lunch at her home. During the visit, Kalisa’s mother washed his feet and those of his sister, a symbol of great love among the people of Rwanda. She also told her daughter she had had a dream about Murungi and in the dream, God had told her he was the chosen one for Kalisa.
“No one had ever done such a special thing for me. My sister fell in love with Kalisa’s family so much that she told me that I had to marry her,” he recalls.
Promise
On November 11, 2022, Murungi surprised Kalisa with a ‘Promise Ring’ at Divine Resort and Spa located on Kisisi Landing Site. The colourful outing was planned with her friends, led by Emily Wasajja and Godfrey Lule Ssemwanga. She was impressed because it was well thought-out, which meant he had gone out of his way to think of something special for the woman he loved and wanted to commit to.
That had been preceded by fine dining dates and special outings. And because his birthday was coming up on December 13, Kalisa decided to reciprocate by organising a birthday surprise upon his return from a business trip to Turkey.
However, she did not have the money to pull off the kind of party she wanted. He had bought her iPhone 13 Pro Max, which she decided to sell and get the money she required. Upon his return, she picked him up from the airport and to buy more time for the decorators and guestd to arrive, she took him to a spa for relaxation.
Meanwhile, the work was ongoing for the surprise party. Later, they went home, and when the gate was opened, he was surprised to see friends, colleagues, brothers and sisters all there singing for him. He was taken aback, hugged his girlfriend and thanked her for the birthday surprise.
“I had never celebrated my birthday. It was the first time such a party had been organised for me. My love for her increased,” he recollects.
Interestingly, Murungi’s birthday is on December 12 while Kalisa’s is on December 13. He also decided to throw her a surprise party at Protea Hotel in Kampala where he invited her good friends Spice Diana, Levixone, Qute Kaye and Pastor Frank Obi.
A man whose life had previously been ruined by love was now celebrating it and at church and other public places, the two lovebirds were open about their dating, holding hands affectionately.
Proposal
On September 14, 2022, Murungi proposed to Kalisa. She had suggested a photo shoot at the marina in Munyonyo, which he agreed to organise. After the shoot, he asked her to take a cruise so they could relax.
They sailed to Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort and Spa marina where they would have dinner. What awaited her was were smartly dressed people, beautiful decor and a red carpet. At the end of it was a beautiful display of flowers with the words ‘Marry Me’ written in gold.
Murungi waited for her at the other end on bended knee and with his ring in hand, he asked for her hand in marriage. She was so happy and without hesitation, said yes.
On May 5, Murungi officially visited Kalisa’s parents’ home and on June 16, the lovebirds got married at Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort and Spa in a civil wedding blessed by Pastor Happy Ngabo. They invited only 50 guests.
For life
The couple look forward to a happy marriage. She expects him to continue caring for her and the family with affection and attention to which he agrees, and aspires to be an exemplary husband and family man.
The couple would like to continue serving God and maintain a welcoming home for family and friends. They already have two children from his previous relationship but are expecting another. Kalisa would like to have three more. She says being his wife is a given but she is ready to continue mothering him too. As a family, they intend to travel the world to see places and create lasting memories.
