I Miss Shopping Like a Normal Person! — Rema Namakula

Singer Rema Namakula has opened up about the downside of becoming famous at a young age, revealing that early stardom robbed her of the freedom to enjoy some of life's simplest pleasures.

The singer said achieving success while she was still young made it difficult to move around freely without attracting attention from fans and curious members of the public.

According to Rema, there was a time when she simply wanted to walk around, window shop, buy roasted maize by the roadside and enjoy life like any other young person.

“This started when I was still young. It is challenging because that is the time I want to move around, window shop, buy maize on the road, and do anything because that was the age; I was still growing up,” she said.

Fame Comes With a Price

Rema said she gradually realised that becoming a celebrity meant many ordinary activities were no longer as easy as they once were.

She explained that even shopping can become complicated because some vendors recognise her and assume she has more money simply because she is a celebrity.

“When you are a celebrity, people will always sell things to you at a higher price because they expect you to have money,” she said.

The singer admitted that she still misses being able to visit major shops and personally select the things she wants to buy.

As someone who describes herself as picky and prefers physically seeing items before purchasing them, Rema said losing that freedom has been particularly frustrating.

“I Wish I Could Sneak Downtown”

Rema said travelling abroad sometimes gives her the opportunity to enjoy a more normal shopping experience because people are less familiar with her.

“When we travel we do that because everyone minds their own business but here, it gets hard,” she explained.

The singer said she occasionally wishes she could simply sneak into downtown Kampala, browse through shops and buy whatever she wants without being recognised.

“You wish you could sneak downtown and pick your own things,” she said.

While Rema appreciates the success that came with her music career, her experience highlights one of the less glamorous sides of celebrity life—the loss of privacy and freedom to do ordinary things without being watched.