Fr Mbaziira: A poetic cleric who used Luganda to preach

Eulogised by many as a cleric who used the local language to teach religion, Mbaziira through his poetry and comprehensive research works, helped many Ugandans to understand the interpretation and structure of the language.

He was a longtime overseer of Bible translation at the Bible Society of Uganda, a Christian non-governmental organisation, which serves churches and the general public by making the holy scriptures available in languages that people understand best.

“His enormous contribution to the ecumenical translation of the Holy Bible from English to Luganda was an assignment he executed with passion and dedication,” Mr Simon Peter Mukhama, the general secretary of the Society, said.

A renowned local linguist, the late Mbaziira also translated many other documents and publications of the Roman Catholic Church, including the documents of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council.

Biblical translation

After a year as vice rector in Butende Parish, Mbaziira was loaned to the Bible Society of Uganda in Kampala Archdiocese by Masaka Diocese in 1973. His journey to Biblical translation began there, spanning 12 years till 1985, leading a team of other people with whom he executed the task. He would later return to the same address in 1995, were he stayed until 2003 to finalise the task.

While at it, he applied the famous Bible translation concept of “Functional equivalence” and a model of clarity in his writing.

His idea was to incorporate native culture and idiom into the Bible story to convey more clearly its meaning and intention - making more sense in Luganda.

A project he started in 1973 to translate the Bible into Luganda, the tongue of the natives in Uganda’s central region, took 30 years to complete.

The first edition - The inter-confessional Luganda Bible, came out in 2003. The National Resistance Army (NRA) war against the Milton Obote government was cited as one of the reasons for the delay.

“Translators were not settled to do their work and as a result, the process took too long” Mr Peter Serumanga Lumbuye, the head of translation and publishing department at The Bible Society of Uganda, said.

In an interview with Ugandan Catholics Online platform before his death, the late Mbaziira reminisced that the task required so much time because the Bible, whose story unfolds differently and is deep in vocabulary, had to make sense to the audience, many of whom were illiterate at the time.

“The main goal upon reading the translated version of the Bible was to understand it and be transformed by its message,” he said, adding, “Its numerous variations deconstructed large words into smaller and clearer ideas”.

He explained that his translations were handwritten as typewriting was only done before sending them for review.  Together with his team, most of his translation work was done during the reign of Mr Henry Kalule and retired Bishop Benezeri Kisembo of Rwenzori Diocese.

Mbaziira also translated annual Bible Week materials that would circulate in churches to be used to celebrate the Bible Week that falls between the first Sunday and Saturday in advent season. It is climaxed on the second Sunday or Saturday of advent season, usually around the last week of November and first week of December every year.

He translated other special books in the church. Notable among those are the Radio Maria manual and St Maria Faustina Diaries.

A celebrated Luganda poet and author

Beyond the field of Bible translation, the late Mbaziira was also a celebrated poet whose deeper understanding of the craft saw him published widely in addition to mentoring rising poets.

For more than 20 years, he wrote poems in the Bukedde newspaper. He was an all-round poet who penned poems in various spheres ranging from health, education, religion and love, among others, thereby ensuring inclusivity.

“Enfa ya Matyansi Butyampa,” one of his renown poems with Edward Kawere, was used in the teaching of Luganda language in schools for many years.

He was a top resource to students who offered Luganda in higher institutions of learning who reached out for guidance and information during their final years of research. Some of his most widely held poetic works include Tuula tuwaye, Olulimi kye kisumuluzo, Ebitontome by’abato, Soma oyige, among others, published in 1970, 1992, 2000 and 2002.

Hailed

Mbaziira, who established a reputation as a distinguished translator and poet, was most hailed for the seminal role of translating the Bible to Luganda and maintaining the translation discipline where he remained a key reference in post Bible work translations.

During his requiem prayers, Masaka Diocese Bishop Serverus Jjumba, praised Mbaziira for using his talent to preach the gospel and moral values that Uganda needs.

“While still alive, Fr Mbaziira selected the day’s gospel so as to reflect on his own literature when he was still alive,” Bishop Jjumba said.

The Masaka Diocese Vicar General, Msgr Dominic Ssengooba, described the late Mbaziira as a lover of his faith and his culture.

While representing Buganda Kingdom, Buddu County chief Jude Muleke recognised the late Mbaziira’s enormous contribution to the preservation of the traditional culture of the Baganda.

“I ask Ugandans to preserve and study Fr Mbaziira’s poems and linguistic research works,” he said.

For his distinguished works over the years prior to his death, the late Mbaziira was recognised both internationally and locally.

He was awarded a Men of Achievement award at the International Biographical Centre in 1980, highlighted in the International Register of Profiles in 1981 and recognised as Biography of the Year in 1987, among others.

Locally, he was awarded Man of the Year in the Uganda National Curriculum Development Centre in 2001 and in 2002. Makerere University also recognised his efforts in developing the Luganda language.

Who was the late Mbaziira?

The late Mbaziira was born on January 31, 1935 to Sylvester Ssenyonga and Christine Nanziri in Kyakasalagga Village, Bikira Parish in Masaka District. He was baptised on March 17, 1935.

He started his education at a local primary school in his locality before he was called to Bukalasa Minor Seminary between 1951 and 1955.  He later joined Katigondo Major Seminary between 1956 and 1958.

In 1959, he was sent to Pontifical Urban University in Rome for Theology Studies until 1962. He obtained his Doctorate from The Marquis Giuseppe Scicluna International University Foundation in 1993.  He was ordained deacon and priest on September 29, 1961 and December 20, 1961 in Rome, respectively.

On his return to Uganda from Rome in 1964, Mbaziira moved to Masaka, his mother diocese and was posted as acting rector in Bukulula for one year.

In 1966, he was posted to his alma mater, Katigondo Major Seminary, as a lecturer. In 1967, he moved to Makerere University as a lecturer. He returned to Masaka Diocese in 1968 as rector at Villa Maria Parish.

He again went to Katigondo as a lecturer in 1969 before being posted to St Mary’s College Kisubi as a teacher and later returned to Masaka as vice rector in Naluzaali and Butende in 1971 and 1972, respectively.

Between 1973 and 1985, he settled at the Bible Society of Uganda in Kampala, where he executed the Bible translation duties.  After 12 years there, he returned to Masaka as chaplain in Matale schools and Kitovu Cathedral between 1986 and 1989.

From 1990 to 1991, he was placed at Bukulula as a rector and in 1992, he was chaplain in Mbuye schools.  Between 1993 and 1994, he settled at Tabaraka, Villa Maria Parish.

He returned to Kampala at the Bible Society of Uganda in 1995, where he stayed until 2003 when the Bible translation process was finalised. Between 2004 and 2017, he settled at Delta Residence at Bukalasa as Bible Apostolate for Masaka Diocese.

The late Mbaziira died at Nsambya hospital on Tuesday February 7, 2023. He was later buried on Thursday, February 9 at Bukalasa. At the time of his death, he was a curate at Our Lady of Lourdes Kitaasa Parish, in Bukomansimbi District in Masaka Diocese.

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