TAKEAWAYS

• Mesach Semakula says HIV rumours about him began in 2006 after he developed a painful swollen leg.
• The Sigwe Onsimila singer says the allegations deeply affected him when he was only around 27.
• Mesach says the claims were never true and that he can now speak about the experience openly.

Legendary Ugandan musician Mesach Semakula has opened up about long-standing rumours that he was living with HIV, revealing how the allegations affected him at the height of his music career.

The Sigwe Onsimila singer says the rumours began in 2006 when he developed a painful swelling in his leg. According to Mesach, his condition quickly became the subject of speculation, with people claiming that he was seriously ill.

At the time, Mesach was only around 27 years old and says the rumours were particularly painful because of how easily such allegations spread within Uganda’s entertainment industry.

“I was still a young man, around 27 years old, and it really hurt me because the rumour spread very fast.”

Mesach says the HIV claims were never true, but the experience left a lasting emotional impact on him. He explains that the entertainment industry at the time was filled with similar rumours about musicians, with illness sometimes becoming the basis for damaging public speculation.

“Today I can talk about it freely because I know it was never true, but at that time it really affected me.”

The musician believes the experience was made worse by the stigma surrounding HIV at the time. Being publicly associated with the disease could significantly affect an artist’s reputation, relationships and career.

Mesach was among several musicians who found themselves at the centre of similar allegations during that period.

Nearly two decades later, however, he says he is comfortable addressing the painful chapter of his past and setting the record straight about what he experienced.

His revelation also highlights how quickly unverified health rumours can spread and the lasting consequences they can have on public figures.