Musician Sheebah Karungi has revealed that witnessing her mother evicted over Shs8,000 rent as a child inspired her to build her mother a house.
She made the revelation on Monday during a special housewarming ceremony in Mityana attended by close friends, family, and fellow artists.
The event marked the official unveiling of the new home for her mother, a project Sheebah described as a deeply personal milestone.
Speaking to guests, Sheebah recounted a painful memory from her early years that motivated her to build her mother a home.
“I watched my mum being thrown out of a house over rent worth just Shs8,000. I was about five years old. That memory still hurts,” Sheebah said.
She described how her mother, repeatedly forced to rent, often faced humiliation and hardship.
“I saw her crying as if Kamya, our landlord, was her God at that time. We lived renting until my mother bought a small plot where we endured many years of suffering,” she added.
For Sheebah, building a home for her mother was more than an act of love—it was proof that overcoming adversity is possible.
“To come from such a life and be able to do what we have, and for me to build my mother a house, shouldn’t be seen as just a usual thing but as inspiration that it’s possible,” she said.
She also recalled being so conscious of their modest living conditions that she would hide her home from friends.
“Whenever my friends and I came from school, I used to show them someone else’s house as ours. When they left, I would go to my real home. But now, I will no longer hide our home,” she said, her voice full of emotion.
Born Samali Karungi on November 11, 1989, in Kawempe, Kampala, Sheebah grew up with her mother as a single parent.
She began her career as a dancer in the Obsessions dance group in the early 2000s before transitioning to music, where she has become one of Uganda’s leading female artists.
Over the years, she has won multiple HiPipo Music Awards and established herself as a successful businesswoman with various ventures.
The “Wankona” hitmaker has also built her own dream house, a five-bedroom mansion in Munyonyo she calls “QueenDom,” reportedly spending over Shs800 million on the property, which features luxury finishes and a private bar.
In November 2024, Sheebah welcomed her first child, a son named Amir, in Canada, describing her 12-hour labor as a life-changing experience.
She returned to Uganda after more than six months abroad, embracing motherhood while continuing her music and business ventures.