What you don’t know about me

The famous incident of 2003 where it is alleged that you had sex with your former Big Brother Africa housemate Abby Plaatjes live on television. Does it haunt you?
No, my experience at the Big Brother Africa House has never haunted me.

But did you really have sex with her?
I cannot tell people that they saw this and that. What they saw on television is what they saw. I left it up to them to make their own conclusions of what they saw that day.

You two really seemed such a lovely couple both in and outside the house. What happened? Why did the relationship fail to work out?
I’m not going to deny that we were in a relationship while in and outside the house and it lasted about a year. It was a long distance relationship. Life went on afterwards. She moved to Tanzania, got married and had children and I also settled down. We are friends and still talk.
Who did you settle down with?
Enid Keishamaza Rukikaire in 2009.
And? Is that all you are going to say about her?
Yes, that will be all. I prefer to keep everything about her and our marriage private.
How have the two of you managed to shield your marriage from the preying media and members of the public?
There are certain things that just need to be private and our marriage life is just one of those.
Do you have any children?
Not yet. But when I have one, you will surely know.
Have you ever been arrested before?
Yes, I have. I was arrested for the first time about a month ago in Kenya for overspeeding as I was driving back to Uganda. I was arrested by a policewoman and put in a holding cell with other ‘overspeeders’ for about four hours and later released after paying a fine equivalent to about Shs150,000.

Sometimes celebrities tend to use their status to be exempted from punishment. Why didn’t you tell that policeman that you were the famous Gaetano?
To be honest with you, I never use my public persona to free myself from my blunders. I have never and will never use the phrase “Do you know who I am?” when someone in authority gets me in the wrong. If I have made a mistake, I should pay the price, just like anybody else.

What is the one surprising thing you can tell us about yourself?
I snore so heavily my wife complains a lot about it. Sometimes, she is forced to go sleep in another room in the middle of the night. One night, she recorded me snoring and played it for me the following day. My God! I could not believe that it was really me.
The one thing you cannot do because you are famous is…
Absolutely nothing. My status never prevents me from doing whatever I want. Yesterday for instance, I bought a rolex (chapatti rolled with omelet) from a man in Wandegeya. I even use a boda boda to work sometimes.

Why aren’t most of our BBA representatives making it to the finals? Are they that bad?
There is nothing wrong with them. I just think that the representatives from other countries have been stronger than ours. One housemate that I think would have done very well is Denzel Mwiyeretsi. If he had stayed a bit longer in the house, his chances of taking the money would have been higher.
Any tips for this year’s representative?
Just go out there and win, but do not do it by pretending. Be yourself.

Would you ever audition again?
No, I would not audition again. It is because it would not be fair to others since I already had my chance. Also, what if I went back and was evicted in the first round. It would certainly water down what I had been able to achieve the first time. I would probably audition again if it was Big Brother world or universe.

What have you done that other housemates don’t do to benefit from the experience after the house?
It is important to network and leverage your position of having been in Big Brother as quickly and as smartly as possible before the flame burns out.

Are you proud of your BBA experience?
Yes, I am. I would not be where I am today if I had not used it as a pedestal to other ventures. One door must always be used to open another. I think I went from your average everyday Ugandan to what people consider to be a household name and I did it honestly and with hard work.

What would your life look like today without the experience of BBA?
Without BBA my life would be even simpler, perhaps the stars would have aligned and I would have still ended up in the entertainment industry, but if not then I would have settled into a career with the law fraternity.

What do you do now?
I emcee for both private and corporate events. I am also a TV producer and director. I do voiceovers for documentaries and commercials. I am also a Director and co-owner of a bar/restaurant called “Zone 7” in Mbuya.