Jane Asiimwe and Kansiime Mukama Taremwa met at Makerere University when she was just 18. What began as a friendship grew slowly into love, endured long-distance and uncertainty, and eventually led them to the altar.
When Jane Asiimwe first met Kansiime Mukama Taremwa at Makerere University in April 2021, marriage was the last thing on her mind. At just 18 years old and a first-year student, she was on her way to a fellowship meeting when she encountered the man who would eventually become her husband.
Jane vividly recalls their first meeting. She wore a green T-shirt and black leggings, while Taremwa wore a navy-blue suit. During their conversation, the name of Christian author and teacher Kenneth E. Hagin came up. Taremwa asked Jane if she had read any of his work.
‘I said no,’ she remembers, to which he confidently replied, ‘You are a woman of God, Jane; you should read Hagin.’
She found his confidence both amusing and slightly irritating, but also recognised the wisdom in his suggestion. Taremwa, for his part, noticed how young and innocent Jane appeared.
At the time, Taremwa had returned to the university environment only to accompany a friend to the fellowship gathering, having left university back in 2019. Neither of them knew that this brief encounter would eventually lead to marriage.
The friendship begins
They did not communicate again until July 2021, when their mutual friend, Natalie Kengonzi, informed Taremwa that a first-year student named Jane wanted to talk to him about spiritual matters. Jane had requested his number after seeing his screenshot on Natalie’s status.
As their conversations continued, so did their friendship. About a week after they started talking, they discussed the qualities they each desired in a future partner. When Taremwa listed his preferred qualities, Jane realised he was describing her.
‘I asked him if he was talking about me,’ she recalls, laughing.
The feelings were mutual, but they did not immediately start a romantic relationship. Instead, their friendship deepened, allowing them to understand each other beyond mere attraction. Taremwa’s brother, Atwine Tayebwa, was the first to notice that something had changed.
‘He told me, ‘Kansiime, I have been with you for many years, but I have never seen you this excited about talking to someone on the phone for this long.’ It then registered. I was happy,’ he recalls.
Still, Taremwa remained cautious. Having faced challenges in previous relationships, he was reluctant to commit until he felt certain. By 2023, however, he had made up his mind. He told his parents that he believed he had found the woman he wanted to marry and asked them to pray for him.
When friendship became love
Jane says they dated for about four years, although neither of them can pinpoint exactly when their friendship turned romantic. ‘There were many occasions when we would say in a conversation, ‘I would like to talk to my friend,’ because we were still figuring out the romantic aspect, but we knew the friendship was solid, and we could count on each other no matter what,’ she explains.
This strong foundation was crucial because Jane met Taremwa during a formative stage in her life when she was still discovering who she was and what she wanted. ‘I was ‘turbulent,” she says with a laugh.
There were periods of uncertainty, especially when Taremwa left for South Africa in 2024 to pursue his Master’s degree. The long distance tested their relationship but also provided opportunities for individual growth. During this time, Jane leaned heavily on her Christian faith. ‘I found reassurance in the belief that God would complete what He had begun,’ she shares.
For both Jane and Taremwa, faith and the guidance of trusted individuals became vital when facing difficult moments. Their support system included pastors, parents, siblings, and others whose marriages and life experiences they respected.
Taremwa describes their relationship as being guided by mutual agreement and divine counsel: they communicate openly, ground their decisions in their Christian beliefs, and seek wisdom when they cannot resolve an issue on their own.
Their relationship has also taught them that commitment requires personal change. ‘The biggest lesson I learnt was to take God at His Word and to die to self,’ Taremwa explains. ‘I did not realise how much selflessness is needed to lead a fulfilled life until I committed to Jane.’
Jane’s lessons have focused on humility, patience, and the importance of asking for help. ‘If your partner is flawed, so are you. Extend the grace you expect,’ she advises.
Marriage
On August 15, 2026, their years of friendship, dating, and preparation culminated in marriage. For Jane, becoming Taremwa’s wife still feels surreal. ‘I think I tell him every single day how happy and excited I am to be his wife,’ she shares. ‘There is also a part of me that feels like we must be dreaming.’
She had not anticipated feeling more loved after marriage than she had during their years of dating, but the early days of married life have pleasantly surprised her. Taremwa describes their wedding as the most beautiful day of his life so far; however, marriage has also brought him a deeper sense of responsibility. ‘I wake up every day realising that I am no longer my own person,’ he explains. ‘I cannot think only about my activities without considering how they align with Jane’s day and mindset.’
One of the most meaningful moments of the wedding occurred during a sermon by Apostle Emma Mawejje, who described marriage as a journey of faith. For Taremwa, this message captured the essence of their relationship. ‘Even during the toughest days of our dating journey, I always told Jane, ‘We began in faith, and we shall finish in faith,” he remarks.
Jane remembers another intimate moment from their wedding. During the celebrations, the couple took a brief break to freshen up and spent about 20 to 30 minutes alone. They talked about the day, expressed their feelings, and discussed the life they hoped to build. For Jane, that quiet conversation amidst the excitement was one of the day’s most beautiful moments.
Keeping the friendship alive
For a couple whose relationship started with friendship, neither of them wants marriage to alter that strong foundation. Jane desires for them to keep dating, complimenting each other, sharing laughter, expressing gratitude, and praying together.
‘I will kiss him goodbye whenever he leaves the house. We will pray together, talk about our day, and fall in love with each other anew every morning,’ she says. Above all, she hopes they will never lose their sense of wonder about one another.
Taremwa shares that desire but adds the element of playfulness. ‘We want to approach marriage with the innocence of a child,’ he says.
For Jane and Taremwa, marriage is not the end of their journey but the beginning of a new chapter in a friendship they hope will keep growing. As they fill their ’empty pages’ with adventures, laughter, faith and shared memories, they are choosing to keep learning, loving and walking through life together.
Learning marriage together
Now, as newlyweds, Jane and Taremwa are discovering what life together looks like beyond the wedding. They pray together, try to share at least one meal each day, express gratitude and make room for affection. They also prioritise honest conversations, particularly when navigating difficult situations.
Taremwa says their communication is guided by a simple principle: ‘We talk to each other honestly, not with the intention to wound or to win,’ he says.
Jane looks forward to serving God alongside her husband and filling what she describes as a new chapter of ’empty pages’ with adventures, photographs and stories. Taremwa similarly sees marriage as an opportunity to build something of their own while learning from couples who have gone before them.