Buganda subjects thrilled by glimpse of Kabaka Mutebi's twin princesses

A short, blurry video clip which circulated widely on social media over the past few days has caused excitement especially among Buganda Kingdom subjects and royal watchers.

The clip shows Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi, flanked by close family members, cutting  cake to mark his 71st birthday.

The video was recorded on the evening of Monday, April 13th, in a private family setting. 

Though the footage is brief and not clear, it captured a rare scene from within the royal household and quickly drew warm reactions online.

Many viewers focused on the moment when the Kabaka, after cutting the cake, served two teenage girls that are believed to be the twin princesses, Jade Nakato and Jasmine Babirye who have largely remained out of the public view.

Earlier that day, a larger public celebration had been held in honour of the Kabaka at a prayer service at St Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral in Namungoona. 

The Kabaka, however, did not attend the service in person. He was represented by the Nnabagereka

Buganda Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga explained that the king could not attend because he remained under strict medical guidance to avoid public events that last several hours. 

That helped make the evening clip even more significant, as it offered a rare recent glimpse of the Kabaka in a family environment.

While the video itself centred on the birthday cake-cutting, public attention soon shifted to the identity of the two girls standing near the Kabaka during the family celebration.

They are widely believed to be the twin princesses mentioned by the Nnabagereka in her memoir published in 2023. 

That book marked the first public acknowledgement that she had given birth to twins in 2010.

The queen wrote in the book; “On December 6, 2010, I was blessed with two more girls, Jade Nakato and Jasmine Babirye, born in Kampala Women’s International Hospital—twins with completely different personalities. They’re two amazing kids who are mostly happy and are passionate about people which, at their age, I find astounding.”

Before then, the existence of the girls had not been publicly discussed in any prominent way, which made the mention in the memoir notable. 

Since that disclosure, public appearances involving the twins have remained extremely rare, making the latest clip especially striking for many viewers.

Across social media, many users expressed delight at what they believed was a glimpse of the princesses. 

Some described the moment as touching, while others said they were simply happy to see Kabaka with members of his immediate family.

Since the 2023 revelation, there has been little effort by the media to pursue the story further. 

Part of the reason is that some journalists think stories about the royal family are taboo. But it may also point to something else: the limits of reporting on institutions that tightly control access.