By Jako David Waluluka
After nearly five months in a health scare mode as he battled pancreatisis , Ugandan singer , song writer , producer and stage maniac Joseph Mayanja aka Jose Chameleone alias Raggaman Jose , seems to have for now bitten a condition that has kept him off his beloved stage for the same period.
Chameleone, who us urguably Uganda’s best selling artiste of recent times , has since August 2021, been battling Pancreatitis which is the inflammation of the pancreas, whose cause is admitadely related to alcahol and drug abuse, which two past times are said to be his favorites.
At the time of his first bout of serious ailment, the singer whi had kept the illness to himself and afew close confidants , was forced to book himself into Seguku hospital and was later reffered to Nakasero hospital in Kampala.
The lanky singer was later flown out of the country for specilaized treatment in the United States at the Allina Health Mercy Hospital under the auspices of the Uganda Goverment for the first time at a tune of Uds 100k. A sum that was later contested by some people in the local medical sector.
Chameleone, would later return to the country and had been busy on his sheduled tours for some time though there were reports of him being taken ill and being treated at home by his personal doctors.
This rota would continue until late 2024, when it was once agin reported by now ‘exiled’ Youtuber Ibra K Mukasa, who now lives in Canada, claiming that the singer was critically ill and that if no effort was made to take hime to hospital , it was as good as his will coming into play.
Afew days later , the singer was rushed to a hospital in Seguku, who then recommended that he be taken to a more suitable facility with Nakaesero, being on top of the list.
After making frantic SOS calls to several goverment big shots, it was agreed that the singer eventually be booked in, it is at this time that his close knit handlers led by his manager Robert Jackson Nkuuke aka Mutima and others drove him to the facility in a Passo toyota ride.
Chemelone, would spend almost a month in the hospital as doctors tried to stablize his emergency situation. with the likes of his bossom friend Moses Ssali aka Bebe Cool and Balaam Barugahara the Minister of youth and children affairs cum promoter leading a drive for him to be airleifted to the US for specialized treatment.
It is during this back and forth undecided and in abyss situation that , US based business woman and singer Julliette Zawedde, who had flown into the country for her christmas holdays, against all odds and financial implications therein decided to solely fly and treat her ailing friend.
This good will of camaraderie, is the one that has since kept Chamelone alive coupled by his self resolve to discard his craving for whiskey, ciggarates and yes , a feww mambo jambo smokes.
Wile many thought that Chameoene, was jus acting up and couldnt pass the Acohol and smoke test, well , oh well, he managed to beat the vice against all odds and true to his deternmined self got healthy enough to face the surgeon’s knife in a bid to save his own life.
Against the back drop of a broken family and with only his younger brother Douglous Mayanja aka Weasle Manizo and Zawedde for back up, Chameloen, single handedly and successfully underwent the operation.
This is a fight that no one else but Chameleon, would come out of as the ochestrator and victor. It is with tis back drop that the medics once agin made it known to Chameleone, that it is only him and himself to can keep him alive.
One wonders if Chameloene, will maintain an alcohol and smoke free life style since he has been told by his daoctors that the next time round they would not gurantee his well being.
For the music promoters and managers, you are no longer dealing with a 100% Chameleon, its time to first take his health serious then book him with the Millio
