Uganda’s ugliest man: but a very happy husband and father of eight children

Gottfried Baguma was born with an unusual appearance, but the Ugandan is not desperate and has turned his face into a commodity, which to this day brings him profit. The owner of the title of “The Ugliest Man” never refuses to be interviewed, attends TV shows and talk shows in different parts of the world and willingly shares his story.

The childhood and career of “the ugliest.”

According to Gottfrey’s story, a disease unknown to science struck him while he was still in his mother’s womb. The child developed an unnaturally large head. The midwife had to use iron forceps to remove the baby during the birth. The already sickly infant suffered many birth traumas. His skull was deformed and his skeleton was disrupted. The mother, seeing the newborn baby, without remorse, abandoned the mutilated child and fled to an unknown destination, which in Uganda is not considered shameful, especially for children who are “marked with evil spirits”.

Gottfri was left in the care of his grandmother. They lived very poor. From the age of six, the boy was forced to herd goats in order to earn a little money for food. Since childhood, he endured humiliation and bullying by his peers. He did not learn to read and write, but by the age of ten, a local shoemaker took him on as an apprentice. He took pity on the unusual boy and gave him the simplest of tasks: to wash the soles and to touch up the beaten up noses of shoes. In time, the pupil mastered all the subtleties of the shoemaker’s profession and began to take orders independently. But he needed money to open his own shop. In 2002, the enterprising Baguma took part in an unusual contest of anti-beauty and became the winner. Besides the title “Uganda’s Most Unattractive Man”, he received a cash prize, but he didn’t spend his winnings on a shoe repair shop. Gottfrey decided to get creative: he took the stage name “Ssibabi”, which means “the most horrible”, and went into rapping, investing the prize money to promote the project.

Family Life

Personal life, contrary to the expectations of others, Baguma also turned out well. At the age of 25, Gottfrey got married. The novice performer managed to save a small house, which in Uganda is already considered a measure of success, here he and his bride moved. In 15 years of life together the couple had two children. But his wife was not faithful to her “terribly beautiful” spouse, and if you believe Gottfried, he himself kicked her out of the house, leaving her alone with the children. But he was not free for long. Ssibabi fell in love with the first beauty in the village, Kate Namanda. He wooed the girl secretly from his fellow villagers for several years. In addition to her exotic appearance, they were separated by a considerable age difference of 17 years.

When Baguma’s young chosen one became pregnant, she first abandoned her suitor, but then returned to become his lawful wife. It is not known for certain what made such a young and beautiful girl to link themselves with an older man, not shining with neither health nor attractiveness. Kate says she was able to consider the soul of her future spouse and ignore preconceptions. But perhaps not the least of the factors in her decision was the fact that Gottfrey in his forty years of life has become quite popular and by local standards, a wealthy man.

One way or another, in 13 years of marriage the couple had six children. Gottfrey Baguma, 54, considers himself a happy man: though nature has made him different, but he has found love, stable income from his exotic appearance, and thanks to this he can support his eight children in a relatively poor condition.

Now he performs in local clubs and shoots music videos. Gottfrey’s videos on world video hosting platforms gather a few million views.

And recently Baguma decided to have an examination. He was pushed to this step by the deterioration of his health. He found it hard to breathe and the bulge on his cheek, which he noticed at the age of 10 was constantly growing. In addition, the “most horrible” is worried whether his ailment will be passed on to his children.

After MRI examinations and consultations with leading doctors in Uganda, Gottfrey Bagume was finally diagnosed. He is a carrier of the rarest disease, fibrodysplasia. This disease is characterized by uncontrolled growth of cells and tissues. The disease is not hereditary, and fortunately, with some therapy, its development can be contained. Thus, a man should not have to worry that he will die suddenly, leaving his family without a livelihood.