President Museveni has ordered the payment of Sh1.8 billion to music promoters who counted losses when shows they had organised involving Kyadondo East MP Kyagulanyi SSentamu (Bobi Wine) were cancelled last year.
Sources close to State House have revealed to Matooke Republic that yesterday a group of arts industry stakeholders that included events organisers and promoters, musicians, actors and book publishers, among others, met President Yoweri Museveni at the State House to map a way forward for the industry.
The sources say on the visiting group’s agenda was also the picking of Shs1.8 billion, which was balance yet to be paid of the total sum that the president promised to pay in compensation to music promoters who made losses in the closing months of last year after their shows involving Bobi Wine were cancelled.
Apparently, the president (who was in the company of Gen. Salim Saleh as well as ministers Haruna Kasolo and Florence Nakiwala) ordered the immediate payment of the Sh1.8 billion to top up the Shs2 billion he already paid the music promoters in question earlier this year.
Matooke Republic learns that the president also pledged Shs 200m for the musicians’ SACCO, an amount that will be handed over to Geoffrey Lutaaya during the official launch of the SACCO.
The famous names that attended the meeting are said to icnlude: Ykee Benda, Sophie Gombya, Dr. Tee, Mariam Ndagire, Geoffrey Lutaaya, Andrew Benon Kibuuka, Tonny Ssempijja, Dick Productions, Emma Sseruga, Juma Balunywa, among others.
Yesterday, Bobi Wine and pronmoters Abitex and Bajjo Productions revealed at a press conference that yet again the MP’s traditional Busabala Easter Monday Concert is in balance as police was yet to respond to their clearance letters. However, the legislator vowed that the concert will go on despite police’s continued silence on the matter.