TAKEAWAYS

• Fred Ssebale claims artists got only Shs25m for regional campaign work

• The arrangement was reportedly based on a gentleman’s agreement

• Artists also called the Shs100m UNMF support “too little”

A fresh storm is brewing in Uganda’s music industry after a section of Kadongo Kamu musicians accused Uganda National Musicians Federation (UNMF) president Eddy Kenzo of failing to properly pay them for campaign mobilization work carried out before the January period. The claims were raised during a meeting that brought together several Kadongo Kamu artists, led by coordinator Fred Ssebale. Reports of previous payment disputes involving campaign trail artists have also trailed the federation in recent months.

According to Ssebale, he and five fellow artists travelled across Buganda, Busoga, and Ankole, helping with mobilization activities, but were only given Shs25 million in total. He explained that after dividing the money among the five, each artist was left with about Shs5 million, yet the same amount had to cover fuel, accommodation, and meals throughout the trips.

“We moved across regions doing the work, but the money we received could not match the transport, feeding, and accommodation costs.”

Ssebale further revealed that the arrangement was based on a gentleman’s agreement, with no written contract signed between the artists and Kenzo’s team. He says when they later demanded more compensation, they were asked to present an agreement that never existed.

“When we asked for our balance, we were told to bring the agreement, yet everything had been based on trust.”

The complaints come at a sensitive time for Kenzo, who has repeatedly defended the federation’s accountability and transparency in handling musicians’ affairs.

The Kadongo Kamu artists also discussed the Shs100 million reportedly injected into their circle by UNMF, but many reportedly described the amount as too little to make meaningful impact on their welfare and long-term growth.

The meeting also revisited Kenzo’s recent comments comparing the success of musicians from the 1990s and 2000s, remarks that have continued to stir debate among veteran artists.