In his 30s, a lifestyle of heavy drinking, late nights, and a diet packed with red meat gradually led to belly fat, gout, and eventually, hypertension.
Moses Ssali, better known as Bebe Cool, lived like a man who had already conquered his world. The parties were endless, and the indulgence unchecked. But behind the "good life" was a quietly growing crisis.
The turning point did not come in a doctor’s office; it came under stage lights, mid-concert, in a moment that had nothing to do with medicine and everything to do with ego.
Bebe Cool had spent decades ruling Uganda’s music scene. But in 2008, Nigerian duo P-Square ripped off their shirts during a music performance in Kampala and sent the crowd into a frenzy. The audience screamed, not just for their music, but for their six-pack abs.
“I stood there, stunned. Even as a man, I was impressed. I looked at myself, looked at them, and thought, ‘Eh!, Bebe, you need to do something," he says.
That night, he went home and made a decision. The next morning, he signed up at a gym near his house. What started as a vanity-driven mission to get a six-pack evolved into something much deeper, a fight for health, for strength, and ultimately, survival.
“Now I can’t do without exercising. I strength-train four days and run once every week. And when I travel, I try to do one of the two if I am not able to combine the two regimens," he says.
At 47 years old, Bebe Cool has chiselled triceps, bulging biceps, a sculpted chest, and a ripped core that looks carved out of stone. And he has earned it all. At one point, Bebe Cool’s physique became so commanding that it even upstaged his security detail.
Bebe Cool performs a barbell bicep-curl at a gym in Kampala, Uganda in July 2025.
Photo credit: Pool
“My bodyguard once told me, ‘Boss, people fear you more than they fear me, because you look bigger. That’s why I began doing cardio by running, which has helped me to lean; otherwise, I would have been bigger than this,” he says as he laughs.
Bebe Cool says money and success contributed a lot to his being out of shape when he was in his 30s. He had just moved back from Nairobi to Uganda after successfully launching his music career with the Ogopa Deejays label in Kenya.
In Uganda, he had it all: fame, hit songs, sold-out shows, and a name that commanded respect. Life was good, and so was the food.
“I was already a big artiste; you know? I had made it,” he says. “So I was eating everything. Back in Kampala, I continued with my Nairobi habits, eating lots of nyama choma, ugali, and of course, drinking a lot of beer. I wasn’t thinking twice."
He admits that exercise was not anywhere in his plans. “I was lazy. The excess weight was coming on slowly but surely, but I didn’t care.”
However, amid the screaming fans and P Square flexing abs, he saw, not just the crowd’s thrill, but his own reflection: successful, yes, but fat.
“I wondered, how could I not have seen this? How come I didn’t know this was part of the game? I was an artiste too, and I, too, would love such a reaction. That night made it clear that music is visual too. You don’t just sound like a star. You have to look like one.”
Beyond aesthetics
The day Bebe Cool walked into a gym and signed up, he did not know it would turn out to be a personal revolution.
“Later on, I realised I wasn’t just chasing abs. I was chasing longevity, discipline, and a new version of myself,” he says.
He threw himself into weightlifting. Slowly but surely, the beer belly gave way to muscle, and the stage presence levelled up.
“Those guys (P-Square) made me realise that presence isn’t just sound, it's sight too. Fans want to be impressed even before you open your mouth. So I lifted heavier weights, cleaned up my eating, and never looked back,” he says.
However, age brings inevitable changes to any workout routine. While he still strength-trains four times a week, at 47, Bebe Cool has had to adapt his regimen to suit his body’s evolving needs.
“As you get older, you can’t lift as you used to when you were young. You become susceptible to injuries if you lift heavy loads. The heavy lifts have been replaced with lighter weights but with high reps (repetition). As you age, you also realise there is more than just bulking up and having muscles, but also it’s about mobility. I don’t want joint pain. I just want to feel strong, lean, and healthy.”
Gout and hypertension
Bebe Cool would later learn that the heavy partying and meat-laden lifestyle he had embraced during his younger days had a price; it came back to haunt him in the form of gout.
“Every day in Nairobi was a party. Gigs, drinks, and loads of red meat. I didn’t know I was damaging my body,” he admits.
“The gout came later, and it doesn’t go away. It’s painful. But the gym helps me manage it. That’s why I say the gym isn’t a trend for me. It’s therapy.”
In addition to the intense workouts, Bebe Cool follows a strict One Meal a Day (Omad) routine, usually eating between 5 pm and 6 pm. He avoids carbohydrates and sugar, opting instead for clean, protein-rich meals.
He also prioritises sleep, ensuring he gets at least seven hours each night, a practice he says is crucial for muscle repair, injury prevention, and overall performance.
Bebe Cool executing a dumbbell bicep-curl at a gym in Kampala, Uganda in July 2025.
Photo credit: Pool
Does he miss the good old days?
“I miss ugali and cassava, those were my go-to foods. But after getting gout, I had to choose between comfort food and staying on my feet. ”
Sometimes he does intermittent fasting, clocking in at least 16 fasting hours daily, which he says helps him with detoxification.
“I have learnt not to eat because I feel like it. I eat because my body needs it. That’s the difference,” he says. “No more cravings ruling my life. Just discipline.”
Beyond managing his health, Bebe Cool says fitness has been central to his overall well-being, physically, mentally, and emotionally.
At one point, work-related stress took a toll on him, and he developed hypertension. However, he says regular exercise has helped him manage the condition effectively.
“Now, my blood pressure is mostly controlled through workouts. I still take medicine, but minimally. Same for the gout,” he says.
