Following last week’s arrest of singer Qute Kaye after he survived lynching in Busega, Matooke Republic visited his residence, Lungujja to find out how he had been faring before the shocking incident.
Qute Kaye stays in Lungujja at a place called ‘Community’ which is a few kilometers from the Lungujja trading centre. We visited the residential area on Monday, May 28.
We were welcomed to a serene environment with a few people moving around. When we asked for directions, only a few people managed to direct us to his door. Quite surprisingly, most of them had no idea who he was. However, we were finally led to a fence with a brown gate which had fairly constructed two-roomed residential houses, one of which Qute Kaye rents.
Neighbours surprised he was once a big star
In a conversation with his neighbours, we were informed that Kaye had only moved in about two months ago and that perhaps was the reason most of the residents had no idea who he was. Despite his social status, most the people were not aware that he was once a huge star. They only got the shock while watching TV! According to the residents of the area, Kaye is always seen moving around alone and a few times with his girlfriend. They further revealed that he wore hoodies all the time, most times appearing shabby which made them suspicious of his character.
Lives with pregnant Rwandese girlfriend
Kaye stays with his pregnant Rwandan girlfriend commonly known as Pretty Glo in a double-roomed rental for which he pays Shs300,000 per month. According to sources close to the couple, Kaye’s Rwandan girlfriend persuaded him to sell his car and a number of clothes that had been given to him by Pastor Kayanja after he got saved. They reportedly needed the money to make ends meet. However, the money raised was not sufficient. Kaye’s pregnant girlfriend is being taken care of by her mother who reportedly checks on them frequently and also pays her antenatal bills.
A few metres from the home, there are a few grocery shops from where we were was informed he buys necessities and a mobile money shop where he sometimes does his transactions. At the shop, a woman around her 40s stated that Kaye buys things like bread, sugar, and soap among other necessities and always pays the bill though sometimes he takes them on a credit.
Another lady who works at the mobile money claims that she is a friend to Kaye and his girlfriend and she also claims that the two carry out their mobile money transactions from there and sometimes when probably broke, they request ‘soft loans’ of as little as of Shs5000. She stated that Kaye is a calm person and he pays back his loans though they do not know his job as he does not do anything around but is only always seen taking a boda boda to Bakuli.
At the boda boda stage, I was informed by the boda boda men that they did not know Qute Kaye’s social status and only looked at him as a normal resident of their area until he was caught and seen on television. They added that Kaye always boards their boda bodas to Bakuli at a fee of Shs3000 though sometimes he bargains to Shs2000 for the journey. At Bakuli he reportedly goes to an unknown place between Total petrol station and Delight stage. They too told me that Kaye does not do business within his residential area or the trading centre but always spends his time in Bakuli where he goes on a daily basis and they think this is where he does his business.
His neighbours however said they had never set eye on him since last week’s incident, but his wife is still at their home.