Rwanda’s youngest Master of Ceremony booked till September

At the age of 23, Damas Mutaguma is one of the best Master’s of Ceremony (MC). His eloquence in Kinyarwanda, French and English language has taken him places. During wedding meetings, his name comes up frequently. He said his platform as a public speaker was during the 2004 National Children’s Summit at Serena Hotel, Kigali. “I was selected to be the Master of Ceremony for the Summit and I got trained from the organizers. The thought of speaking in front of His Excellence the President and other honorable members, gave me goose bumps,” Mutaguma said. His challenge was speaking to a vast audience yet he had a francophone background. He however, didn’t shy away from the little English he knew, he wanted no one left out. Mutaguma was born in 1988 in Toro Region in Uganda to John Bikerinka and Anastasia Uwimana. He is the ninth child among 13 siblings. It was not until 1995 that he moved back to Rwanda at the age of six where he attended Kiyenzi Primary School and later Nyamirama Secondary School for O’ Level in Kayonza District. “After the Children’s Summit, the Headmaster offered me a scholarship until I completed my senior six because of the way I represented my school,” Mutaguma said. Although his passion is in politics, Mutaguma is pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Law at Kigali Independent University. He is also a member of ‘Ikizere Forum’ a mouth piece for children and the youth. “I read a lot and one of my favorite books is ‘Homeless Bird’ by Gloria Ann Whelan. It’s about a young Indian girl forced into a tragic marriage. The first time I became an MC was at a former teacher’s wedding in 2008. She said I was eloquent and her wedding was memorable,” Mutaguma said.He never looked back. Godfrey Rutagengwa hired Mutaguma on his wedding day on March 12, 2011. He said: “Besides being excellent at talking, he manages time so well. There was no lagging during the speeches and everyone at the wedding laughed at his jokes to the end.” Angel Binta has a different experience with Rwanda’s favourite MC. She discovered him after one of her wedding meetings through a friend’s help. “He is very brilliant and inventive. If you have him as the MC at your wedding, just know the day will be memorable,” Binta said. Mutaguma is booked in advance. He said all his weekends are booked until September. However he could be available for weddings during the week. “I save my weekend schedules on my computer,” he said. “Speaking is my talent and I want to use it to help others.” This heart throb is single and his dream wife should be intelligent, light skinned and tall. He loves eating chips and salads; his favourite colour is green, listens to country music and loves swimming. Dorau20@yahoo.co.uk