Maama Uganda: The Story of Mariam Nabatanzi, Uganda’s Mother of 44 Children

UgandatodayAug 19, 2025Read original

In the quiet village of Kasawo in Mukono District, Central Uganda, lives a woman whose story continues to awe the nation and the world alike. Mariam Nabatanzi Babirye, fondly referred to asMaama UgandaorMother Uganda, has earned global recognition for giving birth to an extraordinary 44 children—38 of whom are still alive today.

According to Babirye, her mother abandoned her family and five brothers three days following her birth.As a seven year old child, her stepmother mixed cut glass into the food of her older siblings, while Babirye was away visiting a relative; all of them died

— Mariam Nabatanzi

After her sixth delivery, she approached a doctor about having no more children and was told that “attempting to stop her from having another child would lead to her early death. At age 23, she had given birth to 25 children but was advised to continue having children because “(her) ovary count was still high.

Born around 1980, Mariam’s life has been anything but ordinary. At the age of just 12, she was forced into marriage with a 40-year-old polygamous man. By the time she was 13, she had given birth to her first set of twins. Over the course of fifteen deliveries, she would go on to have three sets of quadruplets, four sets of triplets, and six sets of twins—an outcome linked to a rare genetic condition known as hyperovulation, which causes the release of multiple eggs during ovulation.

Despite the biological anomaly that set her apart, Mariam’s life has been a journey of trials, resilience, and selfless devotion. Her childhood was marked by tragedy; her mother abandoned her days after birth, and at seven, her stepmother poisoned her siblings with crushed glass—an act that Mariam narrowly escaped due to her absence that day.

By 23, Mariam had given birth to 25 children. Doctors warned against halting childbirth due to the medical risks posed by her condition. But after giving birth to her last set of twins via cesarean section in her late thirties, she underwent a tubal ligation to prevent further pregnancies. Tragically, one of the twin boys died during childbirth.

Her story took another sharp turn in 2015, when her husband abandoned her and their 42 children, claiming he could no longer bear the burden of providing for them. Not only did he leave her pregnant, but he also reportedly sold the family’s homestead, leaving the vast household homeless. Mariam and her children were temporarily housed by her grandmother, and upon her passing, relatives permitted her to stay—but under the condition that she pays off the remaining UGX 5 million to assume full ownership.

Today, the Nabatanzi household consists of more than sixty people, including children, grandchildren, and daughters-in-law. They live in a 17-room complex composed of five cement-block houses. Of these, 15 rooms serve as bedrooms, nine of which have no beds. The six rooms with beds contain a total of eight bunk beds, four of which are unusable. Twenty-four of her children share the four remaining bunk beds with worn mattresses. Despite the cramped and inadequate conditions, Mariam’s devotion to her family remains unwavering.

To support her large family, Mariam juggles several jobs including tailoring, hairdressing, and herbal medicine practice. Nevertheless, the family heavily relies on well-wishers who provide food, bedding, and other basic needs.

Mariam Nabatanzi’s story is a powerful narrative of resilience against unimaginable odds. Her strength and love as a mother symbolize the very spirit of Uganda—undaunted, resourceful, and hopeful. She is not justMother Ugandaby name, but by the monumental sacrifice and unwavering strength she embodies every single day.