TAKEAWAYS

• Buchaman says old musicians signed exploitative lifetime deals
• Families of legends like Paul Kafeero and Elly Wamala still miss out
• He believes dubious investors are the biggest opponents of the law

Veteran musician Buchaman has thrown his weight behind Uganda’s newly passed Copyright and Neighbouring Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2025, saying the law could finally correct decades of exploitation that left many artists and their families with nothing.

Speaking candidly, Buchaman said musicians from his era signed away lifetime rights to their music for small one-off payments, often without understanding the legal implications.

He recalled selling his 2005 album “Temumatira” to music investor Kasiwukira at a time when investors held enormous power in the industry. He also cited another project sold to Abitex Promotions for Shs5 million, which had to be shared among several artistes, including Master Parrot and Sizzaman, leaving each musician with very little.

“Most of us sold music for life, yet we were paid peanuts. At the time, the laws were not clear, and many artistes did not know what they were signing.”

According to him, the new law should inspire musicians to revisit such agreements and seek fairer terms, especially now that Parliament has strengthened protections around royalties and written copyright transactions.

Buchaman pointed to the families of legends like Paul Kafeero, Elly Wamala, and even the estate of Mowzey Radio, arguing that many are still unable to fully benefit from timeless works.

“The people fighting this law are mainly those who dubiously bought off musicians when the industry had no clear protections.”

He singled out the late Philly Bongole Lutaaya as one of the few artistes who understood copyright early, noting that he protected his music through Swedish legal systems.

Buchaman added that the industry may soon witness a surprising shift, with music gradually moving from digital back to analog formats.