Former Vice President Bukenya Takes Time Off to Play

The Observer (Kampala)

Felix Eupal

1 June 2011

Despite the fact that former Vice President Gilbert Baalibaseka Bukenya is facing a storm on the political front, last Saturday, he took time off to play at his Katomi Kingdom Resort in Garuga.

The 52-bedroom resort established in 2009 lacked a swimming pool, health spa and gym. After installing them, Bukenya decided it was time to officially open the resort. However, only James Mulwana – who was the guest of honour – and a handful of close friends and family were invited for the function. Quite surprising I must say.

We expected a mega bash but to my surprise it was the opposite. There was nothing to show the ex veep was opening a resort. The boda boda men around who usually keep tabs on everything were clueless about this particular bash. After the seven-kilometre drive from Entebbe road, the organisers almost bounced us because the press had not been invited. After close to an hour of liaising with the security officers, we were finally allowed in.

One would expect the place to be swarming with politicians, but none were invited. The speeches were limited as Mulwana kept his short and focused only on lecturing about investments like the one his ‘close friend’ had just set up. Uganda’s oldest band Afrigo was entrusted with entertaining the audience, although it was Pearl of Africa Music Awards female artiste of the year Iryn Namubiru, who lighted up the show.

Just like MTN chairman Charles Mbiire had Julianna Kanyomozi and Bobi Wine compose a song for his mother – Mama Mbiire in 2007, Bukenya hired Namubiru to do the same for his mother Francesca Nabulo who is recovering from a recent stroke.

The song, Nabulo, was written by Nince Henry and Namubiru puts melody to the trials Bukenya and his mother have gone through as he grew up. In fact the video, out next week, was mostly shot at the house he grew up in at Kakiri. Namubiru rarely acts in her videos but she really did a good job playing Bukenya’s mother.

The song lets her hit those high notes so well that it makes you wonder how she was able to pull it off in a week as she told us. With Bilowoozo already dominating charts, Nabulo and Kawoowo which she is releasing soon will definitely defend Iryn’s position at the top.

Juliana is said to have reaped big from Mama Mbiire but Namubiru says, “I did the song for free because Bukenya is my close friend; so, I wouldn’t charge him just for a voice.”

The resort’s publicist, Yvonne Miller, declined to divulge the actual amount spent on the place, but clearly it cost Bukenya an arm and a leg. Bukenya adopted the name Katomi from the place a Ganda king uses as escape to safety, in case of attack.

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