He was the beat behind a generation. A trailblazer who didn’t just play the music, he was the music himself.
On June 5, 2025, East Africa woke up to heartbreak: DJ Bush Baby, born Michael Benjamin Owor, had taken his final bow at just 50.
In a twist that felt like something out of his own life’s soundtrack, full of rhythm, soul, and sudden pauses, the legendary DJ was found lifeless in a studio in Entebbe.
The cause of his death remains unknown, but the silence he leaves behind is deafening.
Tributes erupted across social media, from longtime fans to fellow artists and protégés who owe much of their success to the man who broke barriers with nothing but turntables and passion.
This wasn’t just another DJ. DJ Bush Baby was the DJ, a pioneer who lit up Uganda’s nightlife and airwaves in the early 2000s and became one of East Africa’s first true media icons.
He spun more than records; he spun culture into motion, blending genres, breaking molds, and mentoring the next wave of talent.
From his days at Tanzania’s East African Radio and TV, to beloved stints with Vision Group’s X FM, Urban TV, Sanyu FM, and NTV under Nation Media Group, Bush Baby was everywhere. If there was music playing and a mic open, he found a way to bring it all to life.
But behind the decks and spotlight was a man of quiet strength. Just months before his passing, he was recovering from a devastating accident that nearly claimed his life.
A public fundraiser rallied supporters to help him raise Shs15 million for critical surgery, and even then, he stayed hopeful, engaging with fans and never losing that spark.
His final post on June 2, a touching video moment with his beloved younger sister, now reads like a gentle farewell.
“It’s the little things that make life big for me… Still feels like my last dance,” he wrote. And somehow, it was.
Uganda has lost more than a musical giant. It has lost a soul who made room for others, celebrated joy, and lived every moment with rhythm.
Rest in peace, Bush Baby. The decks are silent, but your last dance plays on in every heart you moved.
May his soul rest in peace.
