Every year, on 1st December, the world commemorates World AIDS Day where people around the world unite to show support for people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS and to remember those who lost their lives to virus.
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In the late 1980s, HIV invaded Africa and Uganda is one of the countries that tested on the venom of deadly disease. In Uganda AIDS began from Masaka, Rakai.
Unfortunately, most people thought it was witchcraft, until organizations like The Aids Support Organization came out and started sensitising them.
However, fallen singer Philly Bongole Lutaaya’s public declaration that he was HIV positive still stands as the greatest catalyst that eased the sensitization campaigns in Uganda on AIDS up to date.
On 13th April 1989 at Sheraton Kampala Hotel Lutaaya said “Fellow comrades of Uganda, it is with utmost regret that today I inform you that the sickness bothering me has been diagnosed as AIDS. Surely, this will no doubt be a shock, but it is true; I am one of the victims of this dreaded disease, AIDS.”
Philly Lutaaya ‘s declaration, fortunately, came at a time when AIDS victims were facing the challenge of stigma and isolation.
However, before his declaration, Lutaaya first battled with emotions and sorrows he thought his family would undergo through, so he first declared his status to his best friend and brother (name withhold) in 1988.
In that letter, Philly asked his brother not to tell anybody else apart from their mother.
Here is the letter…
“Dear brother;
It’s with utmost regret that I inform you that the sickness which has been bothering me has been diagnosed as AIDS. You’re no doubt shocked but imagine how shocked I was when I was told by my doctors.
The purpose of this letter is to tell you in my own words because I know rumours have already reached Kampala. Even here among the Uganda community, I’m big news especially when I am away from the public even for a few days.
I’m planning to come to Uganda in the near future with the sole purpose of making a press conference I want to inform the public that I have the dreaded disease. As a popular musician and a citizen of Uganda, it is my duty to give my fellow Ugandans a clear picture of what has happened to me.
Because of my reputation and good standard as a musician, I must take part in informing the people. This might perhaps save some lives if I had known about AIDS what I know today I would perhaps be telling a different story.
What I want now is to give AIDS a face as we call it here in the west. By publicly exposing and admitting before the masses that I have AIDS, perhaps we can give confidence and hope to other unknown AIDS patients. Many of them are often discarded and rejected by their relatives as soon as the disease is diagnosed.
Please may I request that for the time being keep this to yourself and Mzee until I tell you exactly what am planning to do. For the short time that I have left in this world, I plan to go on working and all we have planned must go on scheduled. I must record for those Christmas concerts which will undoubtedly by my last appearances on the stage in Uganda.
Intend to show by doing this that instead of desperation, one can still be useful to the society even if partially disabled. I regret any inconvenience and embarrassment this might cause to you, our family and friends. But there it is, now you know.
Your loving brother “
The following year, Lutaaya declared his status, and immediately as he had promised his brother, Lutaaya embarked on a countrywide sensitization, preaching against promiscuous sexual behaviour, talking about the disease in churches and schools and communities with the support of community leaders, politicians like former Vice-President Dr Samson Kiseka (RIP), clergymen like Bishop Misaeri Kauma (RIP), who was then Bishop of Namirembe diocese.
In September he flew back to Sweden for medication and to do his music, was however brought back to Uganda on 2nd December of the same year while in poor health condition.
Sources say that by the time he was brought back, Lutaaya could not walk but he was carried on a stretcher from the plane to a waiting ambulance that speedily took him to Nsambya hospital where he breathed his last on 15th December 1989.
A few years later Lutaaya’s openness was adopted as the government’s official policy towards AIDS.
His declaration gave courage to many other famous personalities who have come out and declared their statues these include; Maj Rubaramira Ruranga, Rev Canon Gideon Byamugisha, Beatrice Were, Dr Stephen Watiti, singers Livingstone Kasozi (RIP), Moses Nsubuga better known as Supercharger, Seasoned television presenter and events emcee Edwin Katamba alias MC Kats etc.
Their declaration is a sign of bravery and concern to all Ugandans especially to the AIDS victims that if one follows the doctor’s procedures, he/she can live longer than one who isolates him or herself.
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