Regarding the general looks of human beings, some are considered to be beautiful or handsome based on visible features. Unsurprisingly, the absence or abundance of particular things can also tilt the description of a person to be called ugly. Unsurprisingly, the title of the ugliest person on earth in 2024 is generally attached to the Ugandan musician and shoe repairer, Godfrey Baguma who is also referred to as Ssebabi.
The 52-year-old has faced many challenges, including his mother abandoning him. It turns out that he had no say in how he looked. He was deformed by a medical condition known as Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva(FOP), a rare condition that leads to the development of bone outside the skeleton.
Despite such a setback, Godfrey has risen above the challenges of his background and has since found love. He is married to Kate Namanda whom he shares 8 children.
Godfrey Baguma is the Ugliest Person in the World due to Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva
A closer look at Baguma’s condition shows that FOP as mentioned earlier is a medical condition in which abnormal growth of the bones in areas where they are not supposed to be. The rare disorder is noticeable in the ligaments, tendons, and skeletal muscles.
The disease can restrict movements and it has no cure, however, doctors can manage it with medication. Godfrey Baguma was born on May 16, 1972, in the Kyazanga Town Council in the Lwengo district of Uganda.
According to him, he was born normal but as grew, it became obvious that something was wrong when his head started developing a swelling. With time, other parts of his body also changed till it took the shape it has now.
His Mother Abandoned Him because he was an ‘Abnormal Child’
Right from childhood, Baguma had dreams of doing big things like attending school and living a normal life. However, he did not enjoy all of this.
First, his mother abandoned him during his childhood because she felt he was an ‘abnormal child’. Though this may be seen as the first pain of his life, his grandmother was able to step in.
By the time he enrolled at school, his fate only worsened. His schoolmates and even friends in the neighborhood ridiculed him and bullied him. Things got so bad that he was considered unfit for academic activities.
As a result, he had little academic experience and this affected his opportunities of getting employed.
Baguma Makes a Living From Shoe Repairing, Music and Comedy
Considering that the future looked so unsure for Godfrey, he engages in many things to make a living.
From the age of 15, he started sewing shoes. Aside from repairing spoilt shoes, he works on leather and fabric to bring out unique designs.
Also, he taught himself how to play musical instruments. With time, he started using this as well as his comedy skills to entertain people. His songs are about his struggles and dreams.
He Started Participating in Contest
His dream of becoming great was something Bugama was not ready to give up on. By 2000, an event organizer identified as ABTEX approached him to participate in an event for ugly people.
Unsurprisingly, he joined the contest tagged Mr. Ugly. Knowing his background, such a contest was bound to make him a spectacle which may be in a good or bad way.
He was not deterred and thankfully, he ended up as the winner and was crowned the ‘Ugliest Man’.
As mentioned, his new title introduced him to many who were not aware of him. One of the people he came in contact with was a woman identified as Samantha. She was a journalist who came to Baguma’s village to get an inspiring story.
Soon they embarked on a journey across the country where he performed to crowds. During those performances, Godfrey spoke on FOP as well as shared stories about his struggles to encourage others.
See Also: 15 Ugly Disney Characters
The World’s Ugliest Man is Married
Baguma who is also called Ssesabi which means ugly is a married man. He got married to his wife Kate Namanda in 2013.
Prior, the pair faced challenges and at some point, they had to postpone the wedding. Kate revealed that her family and friends were not in support of her marrying an ugly man.
They moved beyond this setback and got married. Kate remains one of his greatest supporters and fans of his music.
Is Godfrey Baguma a Father?
The answer is yes and thankfully, the condition he suffers from is not genetic which means, his children will have a chance at living a normal life without the challenges he experienced.
Moving on, he has eight children who all refer to their dad as General Ssesadi. One would wonder how they had eight children seeing that they only got married in 2013. It turns out that they had the four oldest earlier than 2013; this was about the time when Kate’s family refused to accept their union.
After they officially married, they had the four youngest.
There were Attempts to Alter His Looks
Years back, Godfrey was visited by some UK medical doctors who tried to alter his looks using advanced techniques. However, the effort was not successful.
With this attempt, we would not be wrong to say his fate has been sealed. On his part, he has accepted his looks and is grateful to God for having a loving wife.
Other Ugly People in the World
- Tang Shuquan
- Mary Ann Bevan
- Eric Sprague
- Williams Masvinu
- Etienne Dumont
- Donatella Versace
- Dennis Avner
- Maison Sere
- Joshua Glen Box
