By Nigel Nassar

AKON, though Americanised, is every inch an African man, and has gone an extra mile to tell the world that he has not forgotten his African roots. The Senegalese-American R&B/Hip-Hop sensation, who arrived in Uganda on Thursday night ahead of his concert yesterday, told the Ugandan press that he has “only” four wives.

“I have read stories on the internet saying I am involved with many girls. But I have only four girlfriends, whom I also refer to as my wives,” Akon, aka Aliuane Thiam Badara, said to the enchantment of the journalists and fans during a conference at Celtel house, six hours before his concert.

“I am an African man. And for we, African men, polygamy is what we do. It’s our thing,” he said in a matter-of-fact tone.

He promised to come back to Uganda for charity.

“I can’t tell the time frame, but I promise I will,” he said, after handing over primary school textbooks to Joseph Okanya, the deputy head teacher of Nakivubo Blue Primary School, whose pupils sang for the artiste.

He said allegations that he did not want to come to Uganda were aimed at pulling him from the top.

“Don’t be part of that. If you destroy me, you are destroying a million African artistes out there who are trying to make it.” He said the reason he recently failed to turn up for a concert in Nairobi was because of the violence that broke out after the elections could not guarantee his safety.

Meanwhile, his arrival in the country dispelled people’s speculation of a looming hoax. Upon arrival in Kampala, Akon was treated to a greet-and-meet party at Sway Club, where he, with Nigerian R&B duo P-Square, met fans before retiring to the Kampala Serena Hotel, where they spent the night before their Friday concert.

Akon, also a songwriter, occasional rapper and record producer, rose to fame in 2004 following the release of his single Locked Up.

His second album, Konvicted, earned him a Grammy Award nomination for the single Smack That. He is the only artist to ever accomplish the feat of holding both the number one and two spots simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 charts twice.