Uganda’s renowned media personality and entertainment guru Edwin Katamba alias MC Kats has for the first time revealed that while battling HIV, tackling Stigma has been one of his low points.
HIV stigma refers to irrational or negative attitudes, behaviors, and judgments towards people living with or at risk of HIV.
MC Kats who shot to limelight as a teen-entertainer working on WBSTV would later gain popularity and has since been top on the charts as one of the country’s leading Mcs and entertainment presenters on TV.
A dad of 6, Kats however, suffered a major setback when his health status was subjected to public scrutiny.
The public started counting his days on the earth. He was stigmatised.
Those known to him revealed that Kats could have contracted the virus a decade ago.
However, he remained quiet about the topic until a few years ago when he slipped into depression.
Speaking to nation on Monday on why he had chosen to publicly reveal his HIV status, a bold Kat’s narration left TV viewers emotional with majority applauding his move to take to vanguard to fight the pandemic.
Kats who will headline the music show, dubbed “King of the Mic” in honour of his bold move, revealed some of his lowest points while battling the disease.
“We grew up knowing that having HIV is being cursed. And now reality checked in. I am sick. So you begin thinking, am I cursed,” he said on NBSTV.
The ever smiling socialite, added that, at some point he refused to return to Mulago to pick ARVs for fear of being seen my members of the public given his status as a celebrity.
“The nurse had to come home and bring me the meds,” he said.
However, what broke his back was a point when his children interrogated him on whether he was sick, had HIV and was dying soon as their school friends alleged.
“At that point I didn’t have answers.”
Kats appealed to the public to stop stigma.
He urged Ugandans to tune in to NBS on Saturday and support his cause of fighting stigma and sensitizing masses about AIDS.