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India
A 70-year-old man from Mukiza village in eastern Uganda, Musa Hasahya Kasera, has become the center of attention due to his extraordinary family life. Fathering 102 children with 12 wives, and with 578 grandchildren, Kasera’s family has grown to overwhelming proportions. His story, shared recently on social media, quickly went viral, with some people calling him ‘The Person Who Produced the Most Children in the World.’ However, his reality is far from ideal, as he faces significant challenges in providing for his growing household.
Kasera’s journey began in 1972 when he married his first wife at the age of 17. Over the decades, his family expanded rapidly, largely due to his initial status as a cattle trader and butcher, with villagers offering their daughters to him for marriage. Although polygamy is legal in Uganda under certain religious traditions, the practice only became officially banned in 1995. Kasera’s children now range from 10 to 50 years old, and even his youngest wife, aged 35, has contributed more children to his vast family tree.
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Despite the size of his family, Kasera’s living conditions are far from comfortable. He resides in a dilapidated house with a rusting roof, and the family occupies several grass-thatched mud huts nearby. His two acres of land, once enough to sustain his household, now barely provide for their basic needs. Kasera’s third wife, Zabina, explained that food is scarce, and on good days, they can only feed the children once or twice. Many of the children and grandchildren help by doing chores for neighbors or fetching water and firewood from distant locations.
Kasera acknowledges that his past decisions have led to his current situation. “At first, it was a joke… but now this has its problems,” he shared. With his health deteriorating and the strain of maintaining such a large household, two of his wives left due to the hardships.
To manage the complex family dynamics, Kasera holds monthly family meetings to address conflicts. His 30-year-old son, Shaban Magino, a primary school teacher, helps manage the affairs of the household and ensures that the younger generation receives some education. Local officials in the village of Bugisa note that while the family faces numerous challenges, Kasera has managed to maintain peace within the household. “Despite the difficulties, he has brought up his children very well,” said a local administrator.
However, the large family has created strain among Kasera’s wives. Some, like Zabina, feel disillusioned by their circumstances. “I never knew he had other wives when I first married him,” she confessed. “If I had, I might not have agreed to marry him.” Despite the challenges, Kasera insists that his wives remain content, saying, “They all love me, you see, they are happy.”
Kasera has now taken steps to prevent further expansion of his family. His wives use contraceptives to prevent having more children, a decision he attributes to lessons learned from his earlier “irresponsible” actions. “I have learned my lesson,” he said. “I do not expect more children. I can’t look after any more.”
