Famous Ugandan singer Irene Namubiru has opened up about the painful and strained relationship she has had with her mother, revealing shocking details that date back to 2013.
During an appearance on the Tusker Malt Conversations5 organized by Swangz Avenue—a platform where artists gather to share their stories, discuss their current projects, and perform, Namubiru shared an emotional account of the 11-year estrangement she experienced from her mother, which was triggered by a traumatic event in Japan.
The singer, known for her soulful songs like Nkuweki, Mpulira, and Nsonyiwa, recounted how, after surviving a harrowing experience in Japan, she returned to Uganda only to face rejection from her family.
Irene Namubiru was devastated to learn that her mother and siblings were aware of drug-related allegations made against her. What cut even deeper was her mother’s alleged involvement in framing her, a betrayal that she says has left lasting emotional scars.
“My own mother was part of the scheme to frame me. That is something that paralyzed me, and I have never recovered from that shock,” she shared.
She described how her return home was met with hostility, especially as the situation was compounded by the sudden death of her father just three weeks after the Japan incident.
“When I came back, I was tormented by my own mother, my siblings, and then my father died just three weeks after the Japan incident,” Namubiru recalled.
Hoping to clear the air and have an open conversation with her mother about the drug-smuggling allegations she denied, Namubiru was instead met with rejection.
“She banged the door and told me, ‘I don’t want to listen to what you are saying,’ before I even said what I wanted to talk about,” she said, describing the painful moment.
Feeling unheard and deeply hurt, Namubiru started recording their conversations as evidence of the mistreatment she was facing. She revealed that the emotional scars from that time have never fully healed.
She hasn’t spoken to her mother in over a decade, and confessed that just hearing her mother’s voice makes her physically sick.
“I don’t know anyone who has disparaged me as much as my own mother in this world,” Namubiru stated.
The singer also revealed that she has written a book that details her experiences, although a publisher has advised her to hold off on its release due to its sensitive content.
“I have a manuscript, and I have recordings. Maybe if I die, the book will be published, and the audio recordings will be released,” she said.
Despite the pain, Namubiru stressed the importance of parents listening to their children and acknowledging their mistakes.
In 2013, Irene Namubiru was arrested in Japan with MDGF, a narcotic drug made from cocaine, worth 1.9 billion Shs. The drugs were hidden in portraits of President Museveni and the Kabaka of Buganda, Ronald Mutebi.
Namubiru spent a month in jail before being unexpectedly freed, as her Japanese lawyers successfully convinced the court that she had been duped by her promoter into unknowingly transporting the drugs.
Her arrest led to the cancellation of a concert she was supposed to perform for the Ugandan community in Japan.
