Shyaka’s star goes off

But if only one knew how much they’re loved when they die YESTERDAY, I attended the church service and burial of the late Shyaka Clever and from what I realized at the end of the day, was if only we could know how much we’re loved when the Man upstairs calls on us! It was the number of people that attended either occasions or their status in our community but rather the amount of praise bestowed upon the dead Radio presenter by speaker after another, and they were quite a number. Until Michael Jackson’s death last year, I don’t remember the last time I had dropped a tear for someone dead (by the way, I’m being very serious here), and fast forward, yesterday I dropped some for Shyaka Clever. It was hard to see the casket containing the body of the 32-year-old Shyaka Clever, an age-mate of the biggest percentage of the active number of practicing journalists in the country. Death is death as they say regardless of how, when, where and whatever else one dies but the death of the popular Radio 10 sports presenter left many in shock. If you heard him after the 8am news with his daily sports updates (two hours before he died) you’d be hard pressed to believe the sad news. Until 2004 when he joined Radio 10 to become the first to present a sports program on the private radios in the local language, I, like many who later came to know him, didn’t know Shyaka but over the years, he had grown into something of a star among his audience and reference for many of his colleagues. Forget for a second, Dr. Jose Cameleone’s ‘Basima Ogenze’ tune (literally meaning, one’s appreciated after death) what I heard being said of Shyaka Clever seemed more genuine that most of those eulogized talks when someone passes, especially if one has been a public figure. Under the scotching midday sun shine, hundred sobbed openly, others hiding tears behind big black sunglasses, while the men fought their (tears) back and some of us who could hold ours back, had a few out of our reserve tanks as Shyaka’s body was lowered into his final resting place. His boss, the proprietor of Radio 10, Eugene Nyagahene promised to fund a national memorial tournament, in whatever sport (he somehow seemed to lean towards football or basketball) in Shyaka Clever’s name with all proceeds going to supporting his widow. Both Ferwafa president Brig. Gen. Jean Bosco Kazura and the Permanent Secretary in the ministry of Sports and Culture Jean Pierre Karabaranga were among the high profile speakers at the burial ceremony and both couldn’t praise more the late Shyaka Clever. Life being as funny as it has been since the day the biblical snake tempted Eva into eating the forbidden fruit; I’m finding it strange to be referring to Shyaka as the late given that just a couple of days ago, we were talking about tomorrow’s (Monday) English Premier League match between his favorite team Manchester United and my Newcastle United. A passionate APR and Amavubi Stars fan, Shyaka could sometime forget he was broadcasting the game live on radio and jumps in celebration when either of the two teams scored and when Man United played, it was very rare that he missed that game, and had the Man above not taken off his star so soon like that, he was looking forward to seeing the biggest Uniteds in the English game go at each Monday night as the new season gets underway. Nonetheless, even though Shyaka has left us so suddenly but what I knew and or heard being said of him after his death, left me in no delusion that he’ll forever be with us, at least in spirit, and for that, if Newcastle United wins at Old Trafford for the first in the Premier League history, I’ll dedicate that win to him where he’s in Heaven. Shyaka Clever, we’ll miss you and one thing for sure is that Radio 10 will never be the same again without you, especially the one hour between 12 and 1pm. nku78@yahoo.com