The Original “Star Taffa” Is Dead There are headlines you read twice -not because you didn’t understand them, but because your soul politely refuses to cooperate. Chuck Norris is dead. In 1980s #Uganda, that statement would have been rejected at the village level, appealed at district, and overturned nationally. Because we had a standing policy about #ChuckNorris, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone: “Star taffa.” Stars don’t die. And Chuck wasn’t just a star -he was the footnote that explained the rule. Don't blame us, those were the good old days of 'Obwavu Musolo' by Kyeswa, and I recall a that memorable line from some other act "Kitufu, Gwe Nabiwata?" Back then, entertainment came without buffering -because there was nothing to buffer. No Netflix, no AI, life had no Wi-Fi, no “skip intro.” Just a battered Drum or The Spear Magazine, a few tired Reader’s Digests, Nick Carter Novels and imagination that did most of the heavy lifting. Mine, fortunately - or unfortunately -could draw. In the dusty holiday afternoons of O-Level, somewhere behind The Centre near Watoto Church, the 'Kibanda' cinema unofficially hired me. Payment? Free entry and the equivalent of a packet of Rex cigarettes. Prestige? Immeasurable. My job was to bring America to Kampala - one poster at a time. One masterpiece still lingers: Chuck Norris, calm as Sunday morning, holding two Uzis (guns) like they were TV remotes. Not angry. Not hurried. Just… inevitable. I didn’t draw him. I documented him. Chucks eyes were always calm like a man who had already solved the problem before the problem knew it existed. I drew him larger than life -because that is how we saw him. Not an actor. A solution. In the bigger scheme of things, he was messaging American foreign policy statements during the era of the #ColdWar . Missing in Action - he found them. Delta Force -he was the delta and the force. Invasion USA -honestly, that invasion didn’t stand a chance. Can you imagine Chuck in the Strait of Hormuz today? Those shaheed drones would be easily taken out 'Chuck-Style'. We believed things about him that even our teachers didn’t dare correct. That diseases checked his schedule before attempting infection. That diplomacy was simply waiting for Chuck to arrive. That in Way of the Dragon, Bruce Lee didn’t win -he survived. So now they say he’s gone. But let’s be honest - Chuck Norris doesn’t die. He simply becomes unavailable for sequels. Somewhere beyond our view, one has to feel sorry for the Grim Reaper. Chuck has probably, now, got him in check! For those of us who not only watched movies on the big screens of Neetah, Odion, Norman, Delight Cinemas, but also video halls, shacks aka Kibandas, who marketed Hollywood with crayons, markers, chalk, paint and courage, Chuck remains undefeated. He remains the original 'star taffa'. Because if death came for Chuck… …it probably had to make an appointment. #RIPChuckNorris #Hollywood – at Edison, NJ