Artistes are among the beneficiaries of the Shs3.5 trillion supplementary budget for the financial year 2022/2023, which was tabled before Parliament by the State Minister for Finance, Henry Musasizi, on Monday.
The supplementary budget, currently under review by Parliament’s Budget Committee, outlines the government’s intention to allocate Shs13 billion for the capitalization of the performing artistes’ Sacco and support to group structures.
Reports suggest that the funds are slated to be directed to the Uganda National Musicians Federation (UNMF), a group led by singer Eddy Kenzo.
Kenzo, who recently held a meeting with President Yoweri Museveni, claimed on social media that the discussions centered around copyright law matters.
However, conflicting reports emerged, suggesting that the president had personally donated a substantial amount of funds to the federation, a claim Kenzo vehemently denied.
Cindy Sanyu, the president of the Uganda Musicians Association (UMA), a group licensed by the National Union of Creative Performing Artists and Allied Workers (NUCPAAW) to represent musicians, producers, and artist managers, disputed the allocation. In an interview with a local YouTuber, Cindy expressed concern over the equitable distribution of the funds.
“We are trying to reach out peacefully to the leadership. But if it fails, we shall find another way which is not peaceful for this to happen. It’s very unfair to release all that money for just a particular group, leaving out all other musicians,” Cindy stated.
As the supplementary budget undergoes parliamentary scrutiny, the outcome of this dispute remains uncertain, with tensions escalating within the music industry over the perceived favoritism in resource allocation.