This week, social media has been covered with eye-catching pictures of Apollo Katinti, the FDC parliamentary contender For Kyadondo East Constituency with his lover, Shamim Namawa.
Having married in 2016, their relationship probably isn’t news, but how, given her former personality, Namawa has been able to put herself together to campaign with her husband.
To reflect the shock, most people were paralleling two photos – where Namawa is dressed in a Gomesi besides her husband on a podium and the other, where she is in sultry outfit.
Namawa, for starters, was a dancer with Maisha group, where she became popular for donning erotic clothes, and posing for photos with an accentuated enormous ‘behind’.
She would later venture into singing under Team No Sleep (TNL) management, before hooking up tycoon SK Mbuga.
Namawa broke up with SK to marry Apollo Katinti.
The couple, blessed with a one child, stays together in Kitebi, behind Wankuluku stadium.
But before you get excited over Namawa’s relationship with Katinti, you need to know she is not the first musician to date a powerful man – below are some of the other female musicians.
Iryn Namubiru
No politician in the mighty Pearl of Africa has been in the news for dating musicians than Prof. Gilbert Bukenya, the former vice president of Uganda.
Bukenya and the “Emunyeenye” singer, according to reports, started dating in 2015. From then on, tabloids started showing them together in public events, especially concerts.
When Iryn Namubiru was arrested in Japan for drug trafficking, the professor contributed lawyers’ fees toward “Save Iryn Project” that was spearheaded by Iryn Namubiru’s mother.
Besides Namubiru, the former VP has also been linked to musicians like Spice Diana and Jackie O, a former Obsessions singer.
With Jackie O, a picture made rounds in mainstream media showing that Bukenya was constructing for her a beach.
Desire Luzinda
Desire Luzinda’s relationship with former Mayor of Kampala Nassser Ntege Sebagala became tabloid fodder, when ‘Seya’ became a frequent guest at her shows.
The former mayor however continuously denied any intimacy with her, saying he had no romantic feelings for the singer.
He maintained that it was because of their friendship that he was invited to the “Ekitone” singer’s shows.
Sebaggala was always supportive of Desire in her difficult times.
For instance when she was arrested and detained at Central Police Station in Kampala for a debt of Shs21m, he rescued her.
The father of 18 also has a child with fashion designer, Sylvia Owori.
Grace Nakimera
Grace Nakimera until November last year was rumoured to have been dating the King of Tooro Kingdom, Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru IV.
When the songbird realized she couldn’t take it up any more – after allegations that the king had banned her from outings – she went on social media to vent her anger towards naysers.
“How many times will you be pushed and you don’t push back? With all due respect these rumours are not true. My silence has been taken for granted,” she posted.
The article however didn’t rule out facts that he was dating the youngest monarch in Africa.
Nakimera is engaged to a white photographer Andre Ringen with whom she has a daughter.
Jackie Chandiru
Jackie Chandiru got in a relationship with city lawyer Caleb Alaka in 2011.
Alaka, who co-owns Alaka and company advocates holds a law degree from Columbia law school.
The two however broke up when, reports say, the former Blu*3 singer developed heart complications.
Before marrying Chandiru, Alaka was married Linda Namuli, who tagged the “Gold Digger” singer a “a man-thug” for stealing her man with whom they had three kids.
Chandiru, who had been in rehab for some good time, was rumoured to have reunited with Alaka in August 2016 when a photo showing them with Bobi Wine and Barbie appeared.
“The idea of rekindling romance with Jackie has never crossed my mind. It is you guys who keep writing about it. You are stuck in the past,” Alaka refuted the claim.
After breaking up with the lawyer in 2013, the diva dated a few other powerful men including Nol Van Vliet, a Dutch who owned a company dealing in trucks, tractors, trailers, construction machinery and spare parts based in Netherlands.
Leila Kayondo
Tycoon Suleiman Kabalanga Mbuga alias SK Mbuga fell for Leila Kayondo in 2012.
In 2015, Mbuga slapped Leila in the face while the pair was having fun at Auto Spa, Munyonyo an event that led to their separation in 2016.
Mbuga later hooked up with Angella Vivianne Birungi, who he walked down the aisle at the end of 2016.
Before dating Leila Kayondo, the renowned socialite had been married to the songbird’s sister Fatuma Zalwango for 16 years.
Juliana Kanyomozi
Songbird Juliana Kanyomozi was once a girlfriend to Kassim Ouma.
You might say, Ouma is no big name now, but the fellow was a heavy weight a few years back.
Born in 1978, Ouma as a professional boxer amassed an amateur record of 62 wins and 3 losses.
The boxer became popular and took Uganda on the world map when he won the International Boxing Federation (IBF) Junior Middleweight world title.
