But technical hitches persisted and were met with impatience from the wild crowd. At some point, a beer bottle was thrown up in the air as tempers flared. But before it all got out of control, the dancehall king emerged from the backstage to great applause.


His charming persona fused well with his catchy hits and magnetism.


It was hardly a year since Shaggy graced the stage in Kampala and he did not disappoint. His energetic performance was well received


Alongside singer Rayvon, the jubilant fans, sang along with the hits What’s Love, Repent, Church Heathen, Would You Be, She’s Mine, Big Up, Strength of a Woman, Big Up, Summer Time and Keeping it Real.


But it was Wild Tonight, Sexy Lady, Chica Bonita, Sweet Girl that got the crowd, consisting mostly of ladies into a frenzy.


Some ladies got carried away and overwhelmed security as they forced their way onto the stage, to share the spotlight with the dancehall king.


Others were screaming and shouting Shaggy’s name as a group of scantly dressed girls on the front row beckoned the singer, with shouts of ‘take me tonight’ as undergarments flew on to the podium.
Shaggy has on occasion confessed how he loves Kenyan women, so many, including groupies, had crossed the border into Uganda to be near their favourite performer.


It is not clear whether the ladies’ theatrics wooed the singer that night, but word has it that his entourage entertained quite a number. The groupies are said to have dined with Shaggy’s entourage that night, while others camped outside his hotel. A source has it that the girls were outrightly looking for sexual favours.
Back in 2005, during Shaggy’s shaggy tour of Kinshasa, it is no secret that Q FM’s Talia Oyando was duped by an entourage sound-man (Goldenchyll) who claimed to be Shaggy’s musical sidekick.


Talia dated Goldenchyll and at some point there was even talk of marriage. But after some good times at the young lady’s expense, Goldenchyll vanished like a silver mist.


Two years ago, prostitutes were moved from the streets of Kampala during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). Now, forget the prostitutes, groupie love is fast becoming the new fad — among ladies not only in Uganda but also in Kenya — and visiting international celebrities have been paying the price in the recent past.


According to unconfirmed reports, American superstar Akon is the father of Susan Awori’s unborn baby. Susan, sister of acclaimed Ugandan designer Sylvia Awori, is said to have had a one-night stand with Akon during his concert in Uganda last year.


During this concert, swears an eyewitness, the number of groupie girls who went back to the Serena Kampala with the star was not small.
One lady in the morning was overheard asking one of Akon’s henchmen for $700 (Sh56,000) for ‘taxi fare’.
"Seven hundred dollars? I already gave ya 700 inches," scoffed the entourage man to the beauty.


The story of the Akon-Awori love child, which has dominated showbiz headlines in East Africa and attracted international Press, could be a but a the tip of the iceberg on how deep girls get into the groove with visiting celebs, all in the name of bragging rights at having bedded a celeb.


Awori is said to have gone round telling close friends that she had indeed slept with the superstar during the Ugandan visit.
Sources from Uganda intimate that Akon and Awori are publicly known to have been close friends for a while now. They have been spotted hanging out in top clubs in East Africa and in the United Kingdom. This union is said to have created a cold war between Akon and Awori’s former boyfriend who is part of a UK-based Ugandan music duo, Da Twinz. According to reports, the two split after Awori flew to Atlanta, US, at the invitation and expense of Akon.


Back here, a Kenyan girl is also claiming that she is expecting a baby by one of the P-Square twins. Apparently, she had relations with one of the twins during last year’s Kenyan show.
The girl who is one of the groupies who dined with the P-Square entourage during their two nights at the then Grand Regency, where a Sh2 million bill was left unpaid.


Everyone recalls how panties and bras were thrown on the stage during the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC) concert. Or how, groupies chased P-Square all the way from the airport to their hotel rooms, how even a popular radio presenter was caught on camera back-stage with a shirtless P-Square brother.
The celebrity groupie sensation seems to be the in-thing.


"We already have groupies for hire. They are always on standby every time we have an international artiste coming to town. They are even willing to pay promoters to get all the exclusive moments with the visitors," says one of the promoters who sought anonymity.


"You remember during the Ja Rule concert? How groupies partied with Ja Rule at the private dome backstage, toasting to champagne and doing all manner of immoral things?" she tries to remind us. It was claimed that Kenyan girls had sex with Ja Rule’s entourage under the baleful watch of security guards back stage.
Another popular radio presenter denies having disappeared with The Game the night he performed in Nairobi last year. Security guards, however, say the radio presenter was among other girls who entertained The Game and his team that night after the concert.


Out goes Shaggy and Akon. Who is the next celebrity victim on the line?