Jackie Chandiru on why she thinks Ugandans are stupid

Ugandan songstress Jackie Chandiru labelled Ugandans as “stupid” for their shocking lack of knowledge about substance abuse. 

In a candid interview with Susan Makula, Chandiru used her life story as a former addict to demonstrate the public ignorance about substance abuse,

She revealed that her struggle began innocently enough when she was prescribed a painkiller called Pethidine for a severe back issue. 

She also struggled with chronic insomnia at the same time due to the music industry pressures.

The prescription drug, designed to alleviate her physical pain, inadvertently became the gateway to addiction. 

The painkiller offered her relief not only from the back pain but also from chronic insomnia, a condition that had plagued her for years. 

Jackie recalls she could sleep not more than four hours a week.

She spent most of the nights on YouTube researching for her music projects.

When she got into the back pain treatment,  the drug gave her the ability to rest, making it seem like a miracle solution. 

However, as with many addictions, what started as a way to manage pain quickly spiralled into a full-blown dependency.

The Misunderstanding of Addiction

In the interview, Chandiru expressed frustration with the lack of understanding surrounding addiction in Uganda.

She believes that many people are "stupid" when it comes to recognising the true nature of addiction. 

"What people don’t understand is that addiction can be anything," she stated. 

"I say this not in a bad way but I think sometimes Ugandans are stupid because when you talk about addiction, they always think of marijuana,” she said.

“They forget that people can be addicted to anything—phones, shopping, pornography, surgeries, or even beverages." 

According to Jackie, this narrow view of addiction is part of a larger societal issue in Uganda, where addiction is often oversimplified and misunderstood. 

The Real Reason Behind Her Struggles

Jackie was particularly vocal about the misconceptions that followed her decision to publicly acknowledge her addiction. 

Many Ugandans, she said, assumed that her substance abuse was a direct result of the pressures and lifestyle associated with the music industry. 

"When I came out and announced my addiction problem, Ugandans decided to mould it that it was because of the music business. The truth is, music had nothing to do with my addiction—it was a health problem," she clarified. 

Following the breakup with her Blu3 bandmates, Chandiru struggled with drug addiction and had to be forcibly admitted to rehab for treatment.