Which April, Kanumba?‏

Steven Kanumba

By Erick Kabendera

 

The news of Steve Kanumba’s sudden death seemed like a fictitious scene from a horror movie; you see a character dying but your instincts remind you that it’s just a movie and that the actor is still alive in actual life.

Unfortunately, the case of Kanumba is different; he is dead. And such a bitter truth may take a long time for the family and fans of the actor to come to terms with the fact that the young man who worked so hard to achieve success in his acting career had his life cut short before his full potential could be realized.

I rarely interact with local actors. But last month I found myself in the company of Mr. Kanumba, arguably this country’s most charming actor. As the news of his untimely death reached me today, it made me remember a scene which led to that first encounter with him a few weeks.

His childhood friend, Bongo Flava artist Haji Nurah told him a journalist wanted to see him, and he agreed, and chose our meeting to take place at Sinza Vatican one chilly Friday evening.

Upon arriving there, we drove through a small path and finally parked in front of a moderately luxurious house where three cars, a Lexus and two others, were parked.

“They are all Kanumba’s,” Nurah slowly whispered.

We were invited into the living room, which was neatly decorated with silver ornaments and white painted walls and well placed curtains with a comfortable sofa set. The elegant space gave an impression one sees reflected in the perfectionism that characterised his movies, his fans tell me.

After waiting for ten minutes, a young man emerged from a room in shorts and a sleeveless T-shirt. His face bared a sad smile and he seemed slightly unsettled.

The night before, he had had a slight car accident and a fight with his girlfriend. He chose not reveal who the lady was.

 

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