Surprising 👶
The name was first refused to be recorded by healthcare professionals after a man from Burera District named his newborn boy after the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, sparking a standoff. Before the name was finally chosen, the situation had deteriorated and involved local authorities.
Telesphore Munyembabazi from Kagogo Sector, Nyamabuye Cell, living in Burera District, testified that he liked Vladimir Putin for standing for justice, being against war, and developing Africa. He vowed to name his son Putin, saying he is better than America and Europe.
During a visit to a health centre in September 2023, Munyembabazi gave his pregnant wife a note indicating that if the child was a boy, he must be named Vladimir Putin, and if he was a girl, then he must be named Maria Zakharova.
Later, when it came time to officially register his son’s name at birth, medical staff were astonished by the decision and refused
Munyembabazi, remembers that just after he approached the doctor to have it registered, the doctor called him and said, “What kind of name is this? “Putin is a terrorist,” I said, adding that I could not register a child with this name. “Don’t insult my child; such remarks upset me,” Munyembabazi retorted.
Munyembabazi visited the health center to know why his name of choice was rejected. Medical staff asked him why he needed to give his innocent child a name belonging to someone they perceived as belligerent. He would not budge, and the health center management could not handle the matter and finally contacted district authorities.
“My admiration for Putin and his country’s policy of not meddling into the affairs of other people is what made me give him the name Vladimir Putin,” he said. Times of colonial mastery are ending, and the world is changing. Why should naming my child Vladimir Putin be an issue if people can even give their children names like Elizabeth or Queen without any problems?
Vladimir Putin, Munyembabazi’s one year and nearly two months old son, has become notorious around the estate. He presents something of a snare, since people remain inquisitive about his naming whenever his parents take him to Church or any function.
