At the bustling Hoima taxi park, where drivers trade jokes and passengers stream in and out of matatus, one man stands out not just for his driving skills but also for his courage. Musa Kalanzi, 36, popularly known as “Shawn Man”, is a respected driver and local political leader. But behind his lively presence lies a painful journey that nearly cost him his life.
“I know people laugh when I tell my story. Some even say I should keep quiet because I caught Mpox after a night with a sex worker,” Musa admits, his smile betraying both embarrassment and determination. “But I choose to speak out maybe my story will save a brother or sister somewhere.”
What began as an ordinary night ferrying passengers turned into a nightmare. For Musa, the turning point came one ordinary evening when he drove late into the night from Hoima to Kigumba. Tired from the bumpy ride, he decided to spend the night in town. He checked into a guest house, and in a moment of impulse, invited the company of a sex worker.
The next morning, he drove back to Hoima, only to be struck by a sudden fever. Assuming it was exhaustion, he took an energy drink and went home to rest. But by the following day, the pain had intensified headaches, backaches, and soon, rashes and swelling that left him unable to sleep.
“At first, I thought I could just treat it at a clinic,” Musa recalls. “But the situation worsened quickly. When the rashes covered my body, I realized this was beyond anything I had known.”
At Hoima Regional Referral Hospital, he found many others battling similar symptoms. Doctors confirmed it was Mpox. Musa was admitted for two weeks, enduring the painful sores and the stigma that came with the illness. “I can’t describe it fully,” he says softly. “But if hell is as the holy books describe it, then Mpox feels close to that.”
Not everyone made it. Two of Musa’s fellow patients died one after weeks of ineffective treatment at a village clinic, another after being kept at a church by family members who thought he was bewitched. Musa considers himself lucky: “I reached the hospital just in time.”
That brush with death became a turning point. Soon after his recovery, a Uganda Red Cross Society volunteer invited Musa to share his experience at a workshop with community leaders and journalists. His voice, raw and honest, struck a chord. Radio and TV stations picked up his story. Musa then joined Red Cross volunteers in community outreaches, speaking at taxi stages and trading centers about prevention, hygiene, and the importance of seeking early treatment.
He even created a WhatsApp group to connect survivors with volunteers, ensuring they could share information and encourage one another. At Hoima taxi park, he has become a trusted voice, urging fellow drivers and passengers alike: “Wash your hands, avoid risky encounters, and don’t ignore symptoms. Mpox is real and it kills.”
Today, Musa’s journey from shame to strength stands as a beacon of hope. It is proof that the courage of one survivor, supported by the Uganda Red Cross Society, UNICEF, opinion leaders, and the media, can break the silence and save countless lives.