UNCOVERED-BEBE COOL'S LAVISH LIFESTYLE

AT HOME WITH BEBE COOL AND ZUENA
28 years old Moses Ssali aka Bebe Cool is one of Uganda’s top dancehall musicians and has been married to ex-Zipa Model Zuena Chirema Ssali for the last four years. Together they have two children( three year boy Alpha Thierry and six months daughter Biata) . They live lavishly at Kampala leafy suburb Ntinda-Kiwatule. Showbiz writer George Otieno was at their home and files the story.
Off Kira road on your way to Northern Uganda Gulu, near Bukoto and lies Ntinda where the reggae star together with his family resides. Bebe Cool one of the leading musicians is son to Uganda ’s ex-cabinet minister and one of the most affluent who is always mentioned in the same taste as Jose Chameleone, Ragga Dee and Bobi Wine. Unlike reggae and dancehall musicians who’ve typecast themselves as ghetto survivors, Bebe Cool has had a totally different lifestyle that can be described as easy, smooth and exclusively posh. He is Rasta but there’s not any element of Rastafarism in his home. He drives larger than life cars and has acquired another fuel guzzler range-rover 4.6 hse,customized and pimped it and added it to his already swelling park yard that has two BMW 3.18 white and grey. ‘I like collecting cars and also making my wife happy. I will use the BMW s while she will be using the range rover,’ he says. His home is located at the Kiwatule and the road that leads there are dusty and a little bit rough. The neighborhood reads like the who is who either in the business circles or politics as the massionettes and bungalows that surround his home not to forget the big cars that are in their parking, show a lot more opulence and that the neighbors are straight moneybags in kabala gala city. Their home has a maroon gate and high walls that you can only see the inside of his home when up on the road as the house is a bit lower, his home has an ample compound and parking. The green-grass on the compound has been taken care of is short and trimmed and safe for playing on. ‘I have a worker who takes care of the compound and ensures the surrounding are clean, the grass cut and kept at a better shape. I like big compound and clean surroundings as well. I would not keep it bare. This has made it safe for my son Alpha to play there while at home,’ he says. On the compound lies the yellow Honda convertible sports car that he bought a while ago but has problems but is not operational as it got mechanical. He says that the sports car is the best he has and that they‘re only two in Kampala and will repair. His son Alpha broke the windscreen of the sports car and has always played in the car. His other car is white BMW 3.15 that he bought as a present to his wife Zuena sometime back. Zuena uses the car when going for shopping and drives her and the son around while taking her time out and going for picnic. ‘I got this car as a present from Moses. I was surprised when he handed over the car keys to me. It was the sweetest thing that ever happened to me, ‘she says. The blue BMW is their other car that is parking in the compound. This is their family car that is used by both of them.
The verandah is small but enough for the three of them to relax. It is surrounded by black metallic rails and a small gate. The living room window opens and surges on the verandah. The floor of the verandah is maroon and has a mat on the door for incoming visitors to wipe their feet when coming in. The color of the wall of their house is white and has some brown in it owing to the design. Bebe Cool has much love for white and says it shows someone’s cleanliness. Outside the wall while you’re entering the home, you’ll notice a DSTV dish on the wall. ‘I bought this to catch some soccer action on super sport. Since an ardent Arsenal fan and my son loves to catch some cartoon action as well. My wife loves to watch movies as well after she’s done with her household chores,’ he says. The side of the house that has the dish planted on it is rough and is cream in color. The main doors to the house are metallic and are black in color.
The house is two beds- roomed have as living and dining room, a spacious kitchen, store and Alpha’s room. The living room is spacious, organized and colorful. The décor is descent and lovely. There’s a state of the art white wall unit that greets you as you enter the house. The grey carpet that one steps on once he enters the house is soft and heavy though it only covers the living room. There’s a round three legged sizeable glass table that stands in the middle of the living room just next to the wall unit. The white wall unit has utensils and a big mirror. On it sit sits a PAM award, Bebe Cool won last year and two light green flower vessels. ‘I liked it as it was unique and exclusive. I bought it in the US at $2000 while I was there for shows,’ he says. Bebe says that his house is divided into two; the African and the Western. A 21 inch TV set sits on a state of the art stand that has also CD drawers. Still on the TV, there’s the dish set deck that matches with the color of the electronics. Bebe doesn’t like radio in the house Two photos of Bebe Cool and Zuena are on the wall that shows a lot more love as the poses on the photos are passionate and candid. Artistic work is evident as well. Three large photos drawn by hand are in the living room seated on another wooden stand in the corner of the house. One has the words ‘Bebe Cool is the best of all’ while the remaining two are photos done skillfully. One is him alone while the other one that greets you as you enter his home has the other two member of East Africa Bashment crew on it. The sofa sets that are in the living room are leather. The color of the sets is grey and cream with one which is a two seater. ‘I bought these sofas while I was in the US two years ago at $1800 the two pieces, the dining sets at $1500 and the coffee sets at $600. I like colors that are not bright to the eyes,’he recalls. The windows are metallic windows and the curtains that stretch to the floor are immediately behind the sofa. The house is well lit with enough lighting from the bright colors in the room. The curtains that stretch down to the floor are creamish and flowered. The couple’s dining room is small but enough for their family. The furniture and art in it show a lot more love for culture and tradition. Bebe Cool’s drawing faces the window while Zuena’s is also there. The drawings he says were made to him by his friends who are artists. Back to the furniture, the color is black. Three wooden tables that surround a one-stand round table are there. Another drawing of Bebe Cool is seated down on the floor and the number of artistic work here shows that the celebrity has deep love for art. A small table in the corner of the dining room has books scattering and here the musician and the wife have failed. Education is life and books are knowledge keep them. There’s a sink to wash hands that is clean. Zuena’s kitchen is my next stop. A huge fridge leans in one corner while a big electric cooker stands next. Food ingredients such as onions, tomatoes and other spices are here. Another cupboard that is attached on the wall above the cooker, carries shopping that shows that the family here has much love for healthy living. The kitchen sink is clean and has other drawers down. The window has a clean curtain that matches those in the living room. They have a store in the house that is opposite the kitchen although it is not properly organized and here they’ve failed. The corridor of the house leads to two bedrooms; one of their son Alpha Thierry and the other one theirs. Just opposite the couple’s room are the bathroom and the toilet. In their bedroom the couple has a wardrobe, a home theatre and a family size bed. Their wardrobe has designer outfits that read D&G, Giorgio Armani, Ecko and Adidas amongst others. They’ve not organized it today but it looks shabby and they don’t allow me to take pictures. Two pillowcases are on the bed. ‘My peace comes from resting on this bed. I wanted something spacious and accommodative as I care so much about it so much. I bought this bed at $2800,’he says. As you enter the bedroom, a paper bag that carries clothes is safely hid in one corner that has the home theatre. Next to it sits a mirror that the couple uses after bath plus the different cosmetics that are on the table. Ties for Bebe Cool’s suits hang on the wall as well. The color of the room is maroon from the bed, sheets and the furniture. Bebe Cool’s shoes are just adjacent to the king-size bed and the shoes are sporty. Well ironed sheets are placed just close to the bed. A black Suitcase is just next to the bed.
At the house, there’s a small British white hairy dog named Vicky. Bebe Cool bought it from a dogs den for $600 and loves it. ‘I love pets and take good care of it. I ensure she eats well and has her own menue.Vicky is friendly and welcomes me when I come back home. I named her after Zuena’s pal,’ he says.
The Celebrity Couple at home
The two most talked about lovebirds in Kampala have seen the best and worst in marriage. 21 year old Zuena Chirema Ssali is a model and was a contestant during the Miss Uganda 2000 where she met Bebe Cool. ‘I was a contestant then. The party was to welcome Miss Uganda from Miss World. Bebe was there to perform while I was to catwalk and he approached me,’ she says. Zuena started dating Bebe Cool when she was 16 years and have been married for four years now. ‘Bebe approached me and asked for my feelings. I was not a yes girl as such, so I took his number and after a serious thought I called him and there we went,’ she recalls. To her Bebe is the loving and most caring man she has ever met. According to Bebe who had just left Kenya the same time and had been disappointed by her Kenyan girlfriend says she just got it off and started living together two weeks later. ‘She was a beautiful woman I would do anything for besides her hardworking character. She is one of the reasons behind my success,’ he says. The dancehall musician proposed to Zuena while she was in London for vacation and it got her surprised. This was after a year of them staying under the same roof and she had even conceived her present son Alpha and was five months pregnant, so it was her best news.Zuena gave birth to Alpha in December 29, 2003 at Nsambya hospital. ‘We were just on the street in London when he proposed. He was on his knees and guys were laughing as it looked more comical. I even blushed at the whole scene, ‘she says. The two got more married two months after the proposal at Crane chambers in September 2003 and they say it was something small and had no mouth watering dishes but was something between. ‘I was in town and called her before we exchanged vows. She came and I threw her a party. Last year ,we had the Muslim wedding and I’m planning a major wedding after I’m done with my house,’ he says. Bebe Cool wasn’t immediately accepted by Zuena’s family and he struggled to invest trust in their family and prove them wrong. ‘I worked hard to win their trust,’ he says. Zuena doesn’t like Bebe Cool’s temper. ‘When he is annoyed he can do anything without knowing,’ she says. But Bebe is caring, loving, understanding, nice and a good father. The couple is now expecting a second child and has already named her Biata. But Zuena’s best moment in the relationship was when his boo bought her a car. ‘He bought me a white BMW one and a half years ago. It was the best present I have ever received. I imagine his car was off-road and he decided to buy me one when he didn’t have his,’ he says. Just like other relationships and marriage affairs the couple has their own differences but they solve them amicably. Zuena says that off stage, Bebe Cool is calm and fatherly and takes care of his son well. ‘He loves the stubborn son more than anything and treats him well. You wouldn’t imagine he is the same guy who performs crazily on stage,’ she adds. His son was named after Thierry Henry of Arsenal as his father is soccer fan and an Arsenal diehard. ‘Alpha means first born while Thierry for the soccer striker,’ she says. But Bebe Cool has other plans for his son Alpha; he wants to give him a different lifestyle. ‘I want to take him to a career of soccer as it’s the next prestigious career after music and has higher earnings. I don’t want him to go to school like this other children but do soccer. I want him to study football, English and Mathematics,’ he says. From next year when Alpha will be three and a half years old he will be admitted to a school of soccer as his dad has made plans already. Bebe Cool wants his son to be as famous as he is. His son Alpha he says is the most famous kid in East Africa and has appeared in press almost forty times. Zuena at home is hardworking and very different from the flashy showbiz beau that accompanies his hubby at events. ‘At home I cook, wash and take care of my son. I have a maid who takes care of the rest of the house,’ she says. She wouldn’t allow anyone in her bedroom and especially her maid. She is a private person and insists she wants her space with her husband. So she loves reggae and dancehall and listens to this music when not busy. Zuena the first born in a family of four comes from Jinja in a family of Mr. Chirema Khalid and Sofi Khalid. Her dad works at Nakasero state house while her mother is a business woman in Jinja. While at home and off stage for that matter, Bebe Cool is a different person altogether who takes care of his family. ‘I don’t allow my wife to go out as I’m over protective and I’m a yes person who accepts everything. I watch movies and soccer,’ he says. He says he uses time to plan himself and is innovative and boring as his wife and son live him watch TV. The couple plan to have four kids at ago and raise them before continuing to have the last two. ‘In the choice that I don’t want to have children out off wedlock and for the love of her,’ she says. Bebe Cool is putting up a big house just in the same neighborhood and will move in once it’s through from the piece of land he has acquired. ‘Your status and style should go hand in hand with your image. Next year I will move out this lifestyle and live the real celebrity life,’ he says.