I miss my fiancée, says homecoming The Ben

US-based Rwandan musician The Ben has revealed he can’t wait to see his mother and his fiancée Pamela Uwicyeza with whom they plan to tie the knot. The R&B singer, born Benjamin Mugisha, is in town as he prepares to perform before thousands of his music audience ahead of the much-anticipated Rwanda Rebirth Celebration concert slated Saturday, August 6, at BK Arena. Shortly after landing at Kigali International Airport, the singer mentioned his fiancée Uwicyeza and his mother as the people he wants to see when he gets home. “I miss my mum; I miss my fiancée Pamela. Actually I miss my friends here,” he said. Uwicyeza, a former Miss Rwanda contestant, said ‘YES’ to the ‘Naremeye’ hit maker in a colorful proposal that took place in October last year in Maldives Islands, where the two had been spending holidays together. The duo began dating in 2019 and have since been posting photos of each other on their social media platforms, accompanying them with romantic captions. Asked what is next after the proposal, the singer said, “Obviously it’s a wedding. I can’t say ‘when’ for the moment because we are just avoiding pressure.” The Ben has been under intense pressure from his music supporters about what the future holds for Uwicyeza ever since musician Meddy married his Ethiopian darling Mimi Mehfira back in May. The singer, however, revealed that the plan for the wedding is work in progress but also insists that there is no need to rush. Saturdays show will be different The Bens performance on Saturday will be his first in Kigali since 2019, when he headlined the New Year’s East African Party with BK Arena becoming his next stage after a successful concert in Stockholm last weekend. The concert in Kigali, organized by East Gold, is one of the activities, both sports and entertainment that will be held as part of the ongoing celebration of Rwanda’s liberation, rebirth and rebuild process. Organisers earlier told The New Times that The Ben was their best pick for the concert given his profile an artiste who represents Rwandan music of the post-genocide music generation and a music figure who knows what celebrating liberation means for the country and its people. Rwandan music in the post-Genocide era has been a movement that was shaped by an inter-generational transition which, according to The Ben, represents Rwanda’s rebirth after the Genocide against the Tutsi 28 years ago. “The way the likes of KGB, Miss Jojo and Casanova paved way for us and how Rwandan music has evolved generation after generation has inspired Rwandans to be proud of their country again, given our history. I am proud of my fellow artistes and our country,” he said. The singer returns home with the Best East African Artiste in Diaspora Award at the ‘East Africa Arts and Entertainment Awards’ (EAEA) 2022 that he won last weekend, an achievement that he says came as a surprise to him, and that he looks forward to celebrating it with his music supporters during the concert. “People are going to witness a show that is totally different from all the performances I ever did,” he said. Tickets for the concert are available online via www.ticqet.rw.