By Nicholas Akasula
Vincent Muwanguzi believes his life has been marked by God’s hand from the very beginning.
His birth itself was extraordinary. According to Muwanguzi, his mother earnestly sought God for a son because his father had two wives. While his stepmother already had several sons, his mother had given birth to three daughters.
“My mother sought God to give her a boy child. She already had three girls, while my stepmother had grown-up sons,” he says.
Strange baby
Muwanguzi was born weighing eight kilograms and was unusually hairy.
“My mother said that I was so big that many people could hardly believe I was a newborn baby. I also had a lot of hair on my head, almost like a grown child,” he recalls.
When he was taken to visit his maternal relatives, his appearance caused great excitement.
“My grandparents and relatives gave me 28 names because everyone wanted me to carry their name,” he says.
Among the names he received were Laurencio and Majwega. His family considered him a special child and celebrated his arrival with great joy.
What the enemy meant for evil
However, his early years were not without challenges.
At one point, Muwanguzi contracted cholera and became seriously ill.
“It happened in a rather unexpected way,” he says. “One day, I returned from school hungry and found some jackfruit in the compound. I ate it without knowing it was rotten fruit that had been brought for the pigs.”
When his mother returned home and discovered what had happened, she was devastated. His father, who was away at the time, was equally distressed.
“I had found great favour with my father because I was the only son born to the wife he cherished most—my mother,” Muwanguzi explains.
The situation was even more painful because his birth had already been regarded as a miracle.
God’s hand at work
Faced with the crisis, Muwanguzi’s mother turned to God. Members of their church gathered to pray and fast for the young boy.
“My mother and I were surrounded by a praying group. According to her, it was during that time that she was filled with the Holy Spirit for the first time,” he says.
During one of the prayer sessions, a woman prophesied that all the 28 names given to him should be discarded.
“I was then christened Vincent Muwanguzi, and that became my name from that day onward,” he says.
Soon afterwards, his health began to improve.
“The bleeding stopped, the excessive hair disappeared and my obesity reduced,” he recalls.
For Muwanguzi and his family, these events were clear evidence of God’s intervention.
Calling and giftings
Muwanguzi says God continued to reveal Himself through his family. His mother often sensed God speaking to her about a church called Power of God, though she did not know where it was located.
After searching for it, she eventually found the church. During a service, the pastor singled her out and prophesied about an elder’s calling upon her life.
Muwanguzi later joined her there.
Today, Muwanguzi believes God has blessed him with prophetic and healing gifts.
One testimony that stands out involves a man who would later buy him his current vehicle.
“When I met him, he was broken. He had no job, his child had sickle cell disease, and his wife was pregnant and unwell. I actually heard someone crying and went to find out what was wrong. That is how I met him,” he says.
Muwanguzi prayed for the family and says their situation gradually changed. Over time, the man’s life stabilised, his family recovered and he secured employment earning two million shillings per month.
When it was time for him to get married, he also points to God’s provision during his marriage preparations.
“Before my introduction and wedding ceremonies, I prayed, and God used three people to meet all the expenses,” he says.
Now 27 years old and married to a worshipper from his church, Muwanguzi sees his life as a reflection of Jeremiah 18:1–6.
His testimony is one of hope, that even when the enemy attempts to destroy God’s handiwork, the Potter can reshape and restore it according to His purpose. To God be the glory, honour and praise.
