See The Ugandan Famous Artists That Allegedly Died Of HIV!! These 5 Will Shock You

December is globally known as a month of celebrating the life of those Living with HIV/ AIDs and also those who died of the deadly virus. It is well known that ever since the outbreak of this endemic disease in Uganda in the early 1980s, it has claimed a number of lives of people we know and those whom we have never heard of.

The Kampala Eyeexclusively brings you a list of top 10 Ugandan celebrities who are allegedly claimed to have succumbed to this deadly virus.

1. Philly Bongole Lutaaya

Probably Philly is the first on the list because he is the first Uganda celebrity who came out to say he is infected with the disease.He was a music maestro whose songs still hit the waves up to now especially during Christmas festivals.

He died on 15 December,1989 when the virus was still fresh in the eyes of the world.Philly Bongoley Lutaaya was the first prominent Ugandan to give a human face to HIV/AIDS. He became a national hero because he was the first Ugandan to declare that he was HIV – positive. That was in 1988, when HIV still carried a lot of stigma.

Before dying of AIDS, Lutaaya spent his remaining time writing songs about his battle with AIDS, releasing his last album Alone and Frightened, including his famous song “Alone”, influenced by Swedish duo Roxette’s hit song It Must Have Been Loveas well as touring churches and schools throughout Uganda to spread a message of prevention and hope.

Lutaaya was popular in Uganda in the 1960s, and in the 1970s he toured the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, and Japan. In the mid-1980s, he settled in Stockholm, Sweden. There he recorded his hit album Born in Africa, which is still popular in Uganda. Philly could play the guitar, piano (keyboards), and drums.

2. Livingstone Kasozi

He was a kandongo kamu singer whose name gathered mass in the 1990s due to his constructive songs like Dunia welaba, abafumbo twefumbirire among other.

Livingstone Kasozi, the mentor and companion of Herman Bassude, was a renowned Kadongo Kamu musician. He gained recognition for his albums Dunia Weraba, Abafumbo Twefubirire, and Kandebere Mudondo, which featured enlightening songs.

Tragically, like Lutaaya, who passed away eight years prior, Kasozi succumbed to HIV/AIDS in 1997, leaving the nation in mourning.

3.Paul Kafeero

Paul Kafeero died of AIDS in 2007. He is a celebrated kadongokamu singer known for his illustrious musical career.Kafeero was a celebrated composer and singer in the tradition of kadongo kamu, which literally means one instrument.

Upon his death in Mulago Hospital in Kampala, just before his thirty-seventh birthday, Ugandans and people everywhere that heard his music were grief-stricken.Born on July 12, 1970, Kafeero exploited the topic of death in other songs such as Essawa Ya Walumbe, Essuubi Lyampeddemu, Obulamu Bwebutyo and Nsonda Nya, which was released after his death.

Barrett-Gaines says in her book that Livingstone Kasozi had brought Kafeero from Kyaggwe and Herman Basudde from Masaka to form Makula guitar singers. Together, they were a force to be reckoned with, with Basudde still referred to as a musical prophet. Kafeero was unique among Kadongo Kamu musicians in that he composed, sang, played guitar and dramatized his music on stage.

Keeping himself thin and smartly dressed, he successfully maintained the image of the young boy who had appeared on the musical scene at age eighteen. His melodic voice, charming stage presence and vivid costumes, combined with his meaning-laden narrative songs crafted in his beloved Luganda, endeared the star to most Ugandans in whose hearts he remains.

His song Olulimi Lwange, which explained how people across the world embrace their culture, is loved throughout Buganda and Uganda. He composed this song to educate youth on how to build their future.

4. Fred Maiso

Maiso was a band music singer in the now diminished Eagles production, known for his single ekimuli kya roza which flocked the air waves in the 1990s.He passed on in 2012 due to the virus.He was a member and leader in Eagles Production.

His most popular 1990s song “Ekimuli Kya Roza” was always and probably will always be a hit in the ears of Ugandans especially on Valentine’s Day. He was laid to rest at his ancestral grounds in Petete, Palisa District. We pray for him, May his soul rest in everlasting peace.

5. Harriet Kisakye

Darkness has struck the music industry again, Harriet Kisakye is gone and no more. The Ugandan female artist breathed her last at International Hospital in Kampala (IHK) on Saturday 25th April 2015.Kisakye was a band music singer who succumbed to death in 2015. It is alleged that the musician died of HIV/AIDS.

Kisakye has been hospitalized at Mulago hospital for weeks before being transferred to IHK where she died from. Kisakye who has been popularly known for her love hits sung songs like Gyenvudde, Kimafia, Ensi Sikulekaana, Kasukaali, Ki Nigeria among others.