Musician and record label boss Ykee Benda, has held a traditional Kukyala ceremony with his fiancée, Emily Nyawira—marking a major step toward marriage.
The ceremony, which took place at Emily’s family home, is a customary pre-introduction visit observed in many Ugandan cultures. It is typically the first formal meeting between the man and the woman’s parents.
Ykee Benda, born Wycliff Tugume, shared the news on his social media account, describing the moment as deeply emotional.
“Three years ago I made a promise to a young lawyer,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “That I would bring honor to her name and her father’s house. Yesterday was the beginning of fulfilling it.”
“Beautiful as ever she walked into a room full [of] family and she could barely walk. She knelt down to greet Badman and introduce him to the Old man.”
He added: “The Old men met and agreed the cows and goats and us the two love birds couldn’t be more grateful to God. Emily’s Kukyala 2025, we thank you all who stood with us, ON TO THE NEXT ONE.”
The couple got engaged last month at Divine Resort in Uganda, where Ykee publicly proposed.
Preparations are now underway for the Kwanjula, or traditional introduction ceremony, expected to take place in September 2025.
Nyawira recently completed a Bachelor of Laws degree at Makerere University. She has maintained a relatively private profile but is gradually stepping into the public eye alongside Benda.
In past interviews, Ykee has spoken openly about how quickly he fell in love with Emily, calling her “intelligent, graceful, and grounded.”
Photos shared by the couple show an atmosphere of affection and mutual respect.
