Ugandan music legend Jose Chameleone is turning a brand-new page — and this time, the bottles and cigarettes are firmly left in the past.
The Valu Valu hitmaker, real name Joseph Mayanja, has officially called it quits on drinking and smoking, a decision he says was driven by his health, his faith, and a much-needed reality check.
Currently in Kenya for a routine medical review, Chameleone opened up about his lifestyle overhaul in a candid moment of reflection.
“I’ve been flipping some bottles, enjoying myself. I’ve been a smoker all my life — but for the sake of myself and my health, I put that aside,” he revealed.
“I don’t smoke anymore. I don’t drink anymore.”
The celebrated singer, now inching towards the big 5-0, says it’s about time to slow down and realign with what matters most.
“God has given me two episodes — the first round in the past, and now we’re starting the second round,” he mused. “I’m just three years away from 50 years; I have to slow down.”
And slowing down, he is. But not before giving credit where it’s due — to the heavens above.
“People must know I am a God-fearing person,” he emphasized. “Before the doctors did their job, God did His own. God was the first healer.”
This new chapter follows a turbulent health scare that rocked fans earlier this year.
Back in February 2025, a distressing video shared by his close friend, singer and businesswoman Juliet Zawedde, showed Chameleone being lifted from a couch to a wheelchair before being rushed to the hospital.
“My bestie is not feeling well today,” Zawedde wrote at the time, sending waves of concern across East Africa’s music scene.
“I pray for you, my dear friend Chameleone. May the Lord grant you a healing touch and restore your health and strength.”
Chameleone’s health issues, however, didn’t start there.
In late 2024, the star was hospitalised in Uganda after reportedly suffering from a collapsed lung and complications with his pancreas — a condition suspected to be acute pancreatitis, often linked to excessive alcohol use.
Initially treated at Nakasero Hospital in Kampala, he was later transferred to Allina Health Mercy Hospital in Minnesota, USA, for further medical care. His son, Abba Marcus, confirmed the acute pancreatitis diagnosis, shedding light on just how serious his father’s condition had become.
Despite the gravity of the situation — with emergency hospitalisations and an initial scare severe enough to spark surgery talks — Chameleone bounced back in style.
On April 17, 2025, fresh from hospital discharge, the singer held a heartfelt Thanksgiving mass at St Joseph Church, Lweza, Entebbe Road, offering prayers for his healing and the well-being of others still battling illness.
Chameleone’s health woes have also resurfaced stories of his tumultuous personal life.
In 2017, his wife, Daniella Atim, filed for divorce, citing cruelty and substance abuse. By 2018, the two had officially separated, with Daniella seeking asylum in the US and moving there with their children.
In previous interviews, she’s spoken openly about the hardships of single motherhood and the struggles she faced during their marriage, attributing many of the challenges to Chameleone’s drinking habits — the very habits he now vows to leave behind.
