• King Michael mocks musician-politicians who lost parliamentary seats in the recent elections

• He accuses them of abandoning the music industry and failing to push key reforms like copyright law

• The singer says their loss proves popularity alone is not enough for leadership

Veteran Ugandan musician King Michael has openly mocked fellow artistes who lost their parliamentary seats in the recently concluded general elections, saying their brief political careers have left them disconnected from both power and their fan bases.

King Michael noted that while the 2021 elections saw several entertainers successfully transition from music to politics, the latest polls marked a sharp reversal, with many of them “waving goodbye just as they had arrived” in Parliament.

Among those who failed to retain or secure seats are Dr Hilderman, Geoffrey Lutaaya, Racheal Magoola, and Nina Roz, whose political ambitions were cut short at the ballot.

Reacting to their losses, the Muko Muko hitmaker showed little sympathy, urging them to return to the music industry and reconnect with fans who, he claims, have been long neglected.

 “They should come back to the studio and do music for their fans because they’ve been missed,” King Michael said. “But for some of them, it won’t be easy — politics wiped out their fan base.”

Michael further accused the former musician-MPs of becoming selfish once they entered Parliament, claiming they distanced themselves from colleagues they left behind in the industry.

He alleged that despite their influence and access to power, they failed to support fellow musicians through collaborations, mentorship, or advocacy, even refusing to offer guidance on how Parliament operates.

According to King Michael, the biggest disappointment was their failure to push for meaningful reforms in the creative sector, particularly on long-standing issues such as copyright protection and artists’ rights.

“They were simply posing in suits and ties,” he remarked, adding that their time in the August House yielded little to no benefit for the music industry.

The singer also blamed the government for being unprepared for the wave of entertainers who joined politics in 2021, saying authorities were caught off guard.

However, Michael believes the recent election results have raised the bar.

He welcomed what he described as a more demanding political environment, arguing that the poor performance of musician-legislators has shown that popularity alone is not enough to serve in Parliament.