)
)
Ugandan singer King Michael has opened up about the heartbreaking death of his 25-year-old son, Eric Mugwanya, revealing how a medical oversight cost his life.
Mugwanya passed away in July last year, succumbing to accident-related injuries.
Speaking in an interview with Ruth Kalibbala, the singer said the loss still weighs heavily on him nearly a year after the tragedy.
“I have four children. My son Eric, who died last year, was my second-born,” he shared.
)
)
)
“Losing a child is painful. Eric had grown old, we even held mature conversations. He was 25 years old.”
Eric, who was still in school at the time of his death, often helped his father with music-related work. King Michael said he supported his son’s interest in music as long as it didn’t interfere with his education.
“I even bought an island in Kyaggwe. My plan was to set up a bar there where he could settle down, make some money and even help his siblings. We were making all these plans together.”
Late Eric Mugwanya
A Night That Changed Everything
Eric was hit by a car in Najjanankumbi while crossing the road — a spot King Michael says he grew up crossing daily as a child.
“They called me in the night to let me know, but I did not pick up because I often get called by drunk fans at night,” he explained.
The next morning, he found messages saying Eric had been taken to Mirembe Hospital.
When he called, he was told Eric had only suffered minor injuries. “The doctors said he should recover quickly. I even spoke with him on the phone and said I’d come to check on him in the evening.”
Later in the day, the singer says he prepared to head to the hospital with a laptop and iPods he’d just bought for his son in Dubai.
As he approached the hospital, he received the devastating phone call that his son had passed on.
“I packed in the middle of the road and lost it. I was even scared of going to the hospital,” he said.
)
King Michael
A Preventable Death
At the hospital, he said he was informed that Eric had suffered an injury at the back of his head, which the doctors initially missed.
A subsequent internal bleed proved fatal.
The singer said he still carries the pain of the loss with him.
“We men often grieve internally, but it weighed in on me.”
Despite the heartache, King Michael said he thanks God for giving him the strength to endure the tragedy.