Hundreds of Makerere University students, friends and associates to Makerere University’s fallen rising star Rasta Batio traveled to Masaka on Sunday for his final send off.
Rasta Batio, real name Sebastian Batiyo, was pronounced dead Wednesday last week. Batiyo went missing for about seven days only to be found dead at Mulago mortuary.
Rasta Batio was a passionate musician who dreamt of becoming the next music icon in Uganda’s entertainment industry. On a rainy or sunny day, whether he knew you or not, Batio would welcome you with a song and his lyrics always sounded fresh.
Batio’s passion for music explains his choice of academic course – a degree in performing arts.
Every one that interacted with Batio has a different memory of him. The intersection of all these memories is that Rasta Batio was always a jovial and welcoming character.
My memory of him in the 87th guild elections is the fondest. I had gone to Lumumba Hall to interview some of the aspirants for a course work I had been assigned, and here was Rasta.
Hussein Ibra -a good friend to the deceased, was contesting in the GRC race at the now closed Lumumba Hall.
Batio had no political tongue to convince supporters to vote for his friend. Nonetheless, his musical composition was good enough to make one halt their journey for awhile and notice Hussein Ibra’s tag that he wore around his neck.
There are many allegations about how Rasta Batio met his death but I will stick to the numbers that sent him off.
There’s an English adage that says they only appreciate you when you are gone, the same resurfaces in vernacular as ‘basiima ogenze’.
I am forced to be believe that the hundreds that sent off Rasta Batio appreciated him both life and death. If I’m wrong about that, then his friends will at least agree that Batio welcomed and appreciated everyone while he was alive.
Even in death, Batio’s soul must be singing joyfully in heaven in appreciation for those that traveled to Masaka for his burial and those that have prayed that the Lord grants him an eternal rest.
