Maurice Mugisha does not believe the hardest part of marriage comes years later.
For the veteran journalist, the real test arrives much earlier.
Speaking on the Mind Your Head UG podcast, Mugisha reflected on his marriage to Irene Birungi, describing the first five years as the most demanding chapter of their journey together.
The first five years are the most difficult years in marriage.
He explained that those early years brought major life changes all at once.
The couple welcomed children within the first three years of marriage while also trying to build their careers, forcing them to balance family responsibilities with financial pressures.
In our case, the children came very quickly, and it was the beginning of our careers.
Looking back, Mugisha remembers questioning whether they had taken on more than they could handle.
At some point, I said, “My God, I think we have taken on too much,” but we were very lucky.
Even so, he believes one decision made everything else possible.
He urged people to marry someone they genuinely enjoy spending time with, saying friendship creates a stronger foundation than anything else.
For starters, marry your friend and someone you can hold a conversation with because you are going to go back home to this person every single day of your life.
Mugisha also reminded couples that no marriage follows the same path.
There is no script to marriage.