Eddy Kenzo, the President of the Uganda National Musicians Federation (UNMF), has opened up about his family background, revealing that his biological mother was of Rwandan origin.
Speaking about his childhood, Kenzo explained that although he spent only a short time with his mother before she passed away, he clearly remembers hearing her speak Kinyarwanda fluently.
He noted that had she lived longer, he would likely be fluent in the language as well.
My mother is a Rwandese. I saw her and heard her speak Rwandese fluently. Had she not passed on when I was still a kid, I would also be fluent in it.
Despite his maternal roots, the award-winning singer emphasized that he remains Ugandan by both birth and nationality.
Kenzo said he was born in Masaka’s Ssenyange area, where he grew up before later relocating to Kampala in pursuit of his music career.
He added that Masaka remains home to him, saying he even expects to be buried there one day.
I am Ugandan—I was born in Masaka, Ssenyange, where I grew up before relocating to Kampala. Even when I die, I will be buried in Masaka.
Kenzo also revealed that his father was the late Chef Ali, who hailed from the Ankole region in western Uganda.
The singer explained that for many years he deliberately avoided discussing details about his family background in the media.
According to him, he wanted to focus on building his music career and avoid potential controversy surrounding conversations about his father.
“My father is from Ankole. Mzee Chef Ali is my dad. I just didn’t want to reveal the details in the media because I didn’t want to create controversy. I wanted to concentrate on my music.”
However, the matter became public after Yoweri Museveni mentioned the relationship, effectively revealing a secret Kenzo had kept for a long time.
When President Museveni revealed it, there was nothing to take back, so we had to go with it. I also came to understand later that he was my father because I grew up knowing someone else.
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