Bebe Cool on a wheel bed at Nsambya hospital. PHOTO BY YUSUF MUZIRANSA
The Ugandan entertainment industry has been characterized by a number of things including violence. It can be argued that musicians think they are untouchable and can get away with anything because of the names they have.
After this week’s incidence where musician Gravity Omutujju almost lost his life, we look at the five jaw-dropping incidents that shook the industry.
Gravity Omutujju shows off plasters on his stomach, after he was allegedly shot
Bebe Cool shot
Uganda award winning artiste and veteran Bebe Cool was shot at Effendy’s bar in Centenary Park on January 29, 2010. The bullets shattered both his legs while three more people sustained serious injuries as well.
This was after a scuffle at the bar with the late Mowzey Radio and Weasel. What followed thereafter was treatment abroad financed by the president for over 8 months. The same musician survived a bomb blast the following year at Kyadondo rugby club during the world cup finals that killed many.
Chameleone (L) and Fik Fameica (R)
Chameleon’s ‘sleepwalking’ accident
On October 11, 2008 Ugandan musician Dr Jose Chameleon was involved in an accident. An accident that left his feet in casts going by the pictures that were circulated. The incident left an impact in his walking ways but on that fateful night, it was reported that the musician sleep-walked and fell from the 3rd floor of a hotel room where he was booked.
It was such an alarming situation that he was airlifted from Arusha to Entebbe after his wife Daniella called her guardian, the late Rev. Fr. John Scalabrini who contacted Eagle Air Uganda. The musician was then driven straight to Nsambya Hospital where he received further treatment for several months.
The entrance of De Bar where singer Mowzey Radio got beaten to coma. Photo by Paul Adude
Mowzey Radio’s bar brawl
Uganda lost one of the greatest highly talented musician last year after a bar brawl. Mowzey Radio formerly from Goodlyf was involved in a scuffle at De Bar in Entebbe where it is alleged that one of the bouncers lifted him up and threw him to the ground where he hit his head on cement and cracked his skull.
The casket containing the body of Mowzey Radio. PHOTO BY MICHEAL KAKUMIRIZI
He spent a week in coma after which he was pronounced dead at Case clinic on February 1, 2018 and buried three days later at his mother’s place in Nakawuka, Kaga. Ever since his demise, the music industry didn’t remain the same because his contribution was immensely missed both in songwriting and music. He was regarded as a legend.
Danz Kumapeesa
At a tender age and just making a name for himself in Uganda’s entertainment industry, Danz Kumpapesa was attacked and clobbered on June 4, 2017 by unknown people while he was returning home from work and from that time, he was admitted at Nsambya hospital in coma till his eventual death. The people who clobbered him have not yet been identified up to now.
By the time of his death, Danz Kumapeesa was famed for producing songs such as Musawo and Magic by Winnie Nwagi, Mbozi Zamalwa by Bebe Cool and Sauti Sol, Yo sweet by Rema Namakula, Nkubanja by Lydia Jazmine and Nakupenda by Fille among others.
AK47’s mysterious death
He was the youngest among the Mayanja brothers, following Weasel, Pallaso and Jose Chameleon. He was also the humble one among them all but his death up to now is still mysterious.
AK47’s widow is consoled by Pallaso. File Photo
AK47 (real names Emmanuel Mayanja Hummertone) died on March 16 2016 at Nsambya hospital after falling in a bathroom at former Dejavu bar which was owned by Jeff Kiwa.
Diamond Oscar, a musician affiliated to Team No Sleep told Daily monitor that it was the bouncer who tipped them that Ak47 had collapsed. “
AK47
We were called by one of the bouncers who told us that our friend had fallen and collapsed in the wash rooms. We thought he had just collapsed, so we got off our shirts and started waving so that he could get some fresh air,” Oscar said.
Oscar further added that he was bleeding from the nose and the mouth as well.
“A patron advised us to rush him to a nearby clinic. When we arrived at Rock pharmacy, the pharmacist advised us to rush the patient to Nsambya Hospital for X-ray and oxygen.
The manager of Dejavu helped drive my car to Nsambya hospital. But all through the journey, I kept calling AK and asking him to say something, but he didn’t. He was bleeding and he had foam coming from his mouth,” Oscar added.
