American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader, James Joseph Brown (RIP) once said: “The one thing that can solve most of our problems is dancing.”
However, renowned Kadongo Kamu singer, Mathias Walukagga would certainly disagree with him.
As we are still wondering how he would overcome accusations that he fathered a child with his maid, the embattled singer almost lost his life when revelers attacked him in Masaka District last night.
There was chaos as residents of Lambu landing site in Bukakatta Sub County in Masaka District turned violent last night and beat up Embaga Ya Kiwugulu singer and destroyed property.
It all started when the tickets that were supposed to be sold at Shs7, 000 were hiked to Shs10, 000 due to high demand caused by an influx of revelers who turned to enjoy performances from a number of local artistes including Walukagga.
READ: ‘I don’t father children with big heads’, Mathias Walukaga denies maid’s baby
Revelers who could afford the new amount paid and entered the show hoping to get good results but this didn’t go well with Walukagga after presenting singers who were not advertised prior to the show.
The show started at about 10am with singers like Betty Mpologoma and Kizito Zaavuga among five others who were not popular among the revelers.
One of the revelers, Gabriel Kyaterekera, a resident at Lambu landing site said that at about 1am when rain threatened to fall, the revelers started demanding for their favorite singers whose posters had been pinned prior to the show.
“After revelers started to demand for David Lutalo, Gravity Omutujju, Haruna Mubiru, Bobi Wine among others, Walukagga stepped on stage and began to perform in a bid to calm them but this instead infuriated the already impatient revelers. They pelted bottles at him,” Mr Kyaterekera explains.
Walukagga’s plea that the other singers could not make it for his show fell on deaf ears as the revelers continued with the heckling and pelting stones at him.
The Lambu police officers who were at the venue tried to save the singer but all in vain.
Mr Ivan Mutabingwa, the councilor representing Bukibonga parish in Bukakkatta Sub County, Masaka District said some revelers jumped on the podium and attacked Walukagga.
“After the confrontation between Walukagga and some revellers, he (Walukagga) who looked disturbed got a chance to call Masaka police to come to his rescue,” Mr Mutabingwa notes.
Mutabingwa noted that at about 2am, police from Masaka arrived and fired bullets to rescue the singer.
Several property including three vehicles were also vandalized.
“After the bullets, Betty Mpologoma who was still around the area ran to the video library of a one Kyaterekera whereas other six singers tried to get refugee at Lambu primary school where they hid for more than two hours,” Ms Nakanjako notes.
It is alleged that Walukagga was injured during the scuffle.
The Southern Police Spokesperson Lameck KIgozi confirmed the incident saying Walukagga personally called him asking for help.
“I received a call from Walukagga informing me how his show had turned chaotic and I told him that I would send him a rescue team, which I did,” said Lameck Kigozi.
Mr Kigozi says he contacted the anti-riot police that immediately rushed to Lambu landing site to rescue the singer.
When contacted on phone for a comment, Sir Walukagga declined to divulge details of his flopped show instead pleading with this reporter to let the matter be.
