Marcah's response when MC Kats asked her why she stuck with him despite HIV disclosure

• MC Kats hosted Marcah on his podcast to reflect on their friendship.

• Marcah said she stood by Kats because she had once failed to be there for a sick friend.

• She said that experience left her with pain, guilt and shame.

• Kats has credited Marcah for helping him recover mentally and return to work.

In his latest podcast, celebrated Ugandan events emcee MC Kats hosted his friend Marcah, real name Caroline Namirembe, to reflect on their past.

During the interview, Kats asked Marcah a sensitive question: "Why you do you think people think when someone is HIV positive they shouldn't have friends, because that alone can kill a person?"

Marcah told Kats that her response came from experience, having lost a friend who was HIV positive when she was not there enough for him.

In an older interview, Marcah said that when Kats made his HIV status public in 2019, she had just lost a dear friend to the virus.

She described him as her best friend. He had battled sickle cell disease throughout his childhood. But one day as an adult, he tested positive for HIV.

Marcah and his other friends, despite being shocked at first, stood by him, encouraged him and cared for him.

However, when she got a job at NTV, her schedule became tighter. She lost touch with her friend and stopped picking up his calls.

For months, she became so inaccessible that he resorted to sending her messages on Facebook Messenger.

She only realised her mistake when it was too late. Her best friend had died.

Suffocated by pain, guilt and shame, Marcah said she prayed to God to give her another chance to be there for a sick friend. Weeks later, Kats came along.

At the time, she and Kats were not close. But when he announced his HIV results, she said she contacted his friend, Douglas Lwanga, and others to try to get closer to him.

In 2022, MC Kats credited Marcah for his survival and mental health. He said she helped him get back on his feet and regain his momentum.

At one point, the two were rumoured to be dating, but they both denied being intimate.

Their close friendship has helped both of them in their careers. According to their latest conversation on MC Kats' YouTube channel, Marcah came into Kats' life when he had become a trainwreck. She helped him improve his mental health and return to work.

Kats also embraced Marcah and introduced her to the emceeing world. They later worked on some gigs together.

The year Kats made his HIV status public was also the year he separated from his baby mama, singer Fille Mutoni, whom he had been with for 10 years. He was dealing with many struggles at the time.