In 2005, musician Moses Ssali, alias Bebe Cool, released an album titled Kisanja. The word Kisanja was derived from esanja, which means a pile of dry banana leaves in Luganda, and came to be a term for giving anyone in office another term. President Museveni had campaigned in 2001 that the second term, as per the 1995 Constitution, ending in 2006, was his last. By 2003, manoeuvres to remove term limits to allow him a third term had started. Term limits were later removed in July 2005.
During the marking of the NRM’s 19th anniversary on January 26, at Kololo Independence Grounds, President Museveni and thousands of his supporters turned up wearing dry banana leaves. Hence, the word ‘ekisanja’ became synonymous with another term. Term limits were later removed in July 2005 after a section of MPs received an inducement of Shs5m. The title track of Bebe’s album was Bamuwe Ekisanja, musically expressing support for the incumbent’s third term bid. Kads Band’s Prossy Kankunda had also released Tumwongere ekisanja. Five years later, President Museveni took matters into his own hands, coming up with Another Rap, a song that earned him the title ‘The First Rap president’. This song was used at all his 2011 election campaign rallies.
Lines drawn
However, it was in 2015 that the line was drawn between politics and music. That year, a group of artistes, including Bebe Cool, Joseph Mayanja (Jose Chameleone), Juliana Kanyomozi, Iryn Namubiru, Pr Wilson Bugembe, Manisul Ssemanda (King Saha), Haruna Mubiru, Douglas Mayanja (Weasel), Moses Nakintije Ssekibogo (Mowzey Radio), Emmanuel Matovu Mungi (Mun G), Judith Babirye, and Rema Namakula teamed up on Tubonga Nawe (We are with you) as the 2016 election campaign anthem.
The song that spoke about the incumbent’s achievements in the entertainment sector was unveiled at an invite-only event at Speke Resort Munyonyo on October 16. Museveni reportedly gave the artists Shs400m for their Sacco. Despite the actual figures not being stipulated anywhere, it is said all participating artists pocketed at least Shs20m and Shs2m more on every campaign trail they performed on.
The song was a big deal not just because of the big names on the collaboration, but also because Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, one of the biggest male acts, was not part of it. It wasn’t surprising because the music catalogue of the future MP and presidential aspirant is full of songs about political and social decay in the country.
Despite the participants reaping big from the song project, most of them did not enjoy it as the public decided to boycott them and everyone affiliated with NRM. They also came under attack from all corners, with lurid insults hurled at them. On several occasions, Bebe Cool, Catherine Kusasira, and Ibrahim Mayanja (Big Eye) were pelted with bottles every time they stepped on stage. It is even said that bookings for the participating artistes reduced tremendously.
Knives out
The situation became even more impassioned when the artistes came out on their public Facebook pages to defend themselves or clarify their involvement. Juliana Kanyomozi in a post on Facebook said: Ndi munnauganda nga abalala bonna. (I am Ugandan like everyone else). ‘It means we all have the same fundamental rights regardless of our positions in society, or political beliefs, or even life experiences. But there’s one thing that brings us together, and that’s humanity, obuntu.’ the songbird added. Her critics even went as far as using the passing of her son in 2014 at the Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi as a reference point for the moribund state of the healthcare system at home. It was the last time she publicly associated with a political project.
When Bobi Wine entered politics, first as Kyadondo East MP, then went to crusade for candidates in the by-elections in Arua Municipality, Bugiri, and Jinja East, and later, in August 2020, declared intention to challenge President Museveni, the entertainment/creative industry was pushed between the devil and the deep blue sea. Artistes were faced with three options; support your own and face State ire, including blockage of concerts; sit on the fence; or support the other side.
So much so that this fiscal year’s budget included a Shs60 billion package for the creative industry, music and arts, culture, and tourism, among others, to generate a revolving fund, ‘acquire a home for you, and enact a copyright law to protect your intellectual property.’
Yoweri album
On September 29, Edrisah Musuuza, alias Eddy Kenzo, was joined by over 10 artistes to compose the Yoweri album, a 15-track album that was launched at Speke Resort Munyonyo, with the President and his wife as chief guests. The President pledged to inject Shs20b to Shs30b annually into the Uganda National Musicians Federation (UNMF), one of the two musicians groups, led by Kenzo. He described the initiative as part of a broader effort to professionalise and empower Ugandan artistes.
‘Kenzo has told you that we have already given them the money to go and open zonal circles. That’s what you said. But after the elections, we are going to do much, much more to really support you because it’s not such a big problem. Even if we said Shs20b or even Shs30b, one time, because you are earning money from the public,’ he said. The album launch attracted more than 500 industry stakeholders, with several artistes obviously keen on rubbing shoulders with the ruling party politburo. However, even within the visibly celebratory mood, there were signs of caution among performers.
Several musicians in attendance wore face masks, hoodies, sunglasses, and branded caps pulled low, clearly avoiding full exposure to media cameras. Though physically present, some appeared reluctant to be photographed, with multiple artistes telling this newspaper off the record that they did not want to be ‘publicly seen’ as part of a NRM-linked event. They were also wary of being branded antipathetic. A number of artistes specifically requested not to be named in official programmes or media coverage, fearing backlash from fans against backdrop of a groundswell of resentment.
On the rise
Uganda’s music sector has grown rapidly in recent years. According to the Performing Artists Database under the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB), more than 14,000 artistes are formally registered under various associations. However, thousands more remain in the informal space, surviving on concerts, streaming platforms, and fan donations. With more than 30,000 stakeholders across the creative industry, including producers, DJs, dancers, instrumentalists, and promoters, the sector plays a critical social and economic role, particularly among Uganda’s youth.
While over the past decade, musicians like Bebe Cool, Catherine Kusasira, and Full Figure have remained strong NRM die-hards and often performed at political rallies or composed songs praising the regime, Bobi Wine’s ascent to the pinnacle of opposition politics has further polarised the creatives industry as powerful agents of change. His support base is largely the urban youth disillusioned by underemployment, joblessness. Since 2019, the artistes, promoters, and other creative groups trekked to Gulu City to seek financial handouts from President Museveni’s young brother, Gen Salim Saleh. He, however, drew a line in the sand in December 2024.
While in Gulu, the visitors would denounce support for opposition politics, especially Bobi Wine and his National Unity Platform (NUP) party. In mid-June 2025, a Kampala-based gospel artiste, David Mugema, died in a hotel room in Gulu while waiting for a meeting to solicit financial support towards his medical treatment.
Besides the individual search for financial support, the creatives also pressured Gen Saleh, demanding the Shs5 billion that he promised them as Covid-19 relief. ‘Because when it is morning, I am meeting Buchaman (Mark Bugembe), in the afternoon I’m meeting Ragga Dee (Daniel Kazibwe), in the evening I’m meeting manya Odongo Romeo. So, when will I work on the other Kirabira there? You’re wasting my time. I have told you that I’m finished with you,’ Gen Saleh expressed displeasure about the artistes’ begging culture at a trade fair attended by many musicians in Gulu City.
Delicate balancing
Owing to these differences and the state’s divide-and-rule policy, the musicians themselves are divided into two camps, the UNMF led by Kenzo and the Uganda Musicians Association (UMA) led by ‘Cindy’ Sanyu. Analysts say the government’s direct funding of the music sector may be part of a broader effort to win back cultural ground ahead of the next election. To President Museveni, as he remarked late last month, the issue is about catching up with priorities long delayed: ‘I want to thank all the musicians for finally getting a bit organised. This was not really the government’s problem because when we started, the country was in such a bad situation. We had to begin with the basics, start with peace. Now, there is peace in the country. Some of the roads are in place, health services have improved. That’s why you are all here, you don’t have polio and so on.’
Industry players we talked to argued that to criticise the artistes is to forget about the bigger ecosystem in which they live; affected by problems and making them survivors like politicians and many public figures in the country. The power that celebrities and well-known people have in everyday life is phenomenal. In developed countries like the United States, Canada, the UK, and France, pop stars are known for endorsing candidates of their choice. They sing at their rallies and usually move around on campaign trails. In Uganda’s case, it is a delicate balance. Mr Ronald Mayinja’s [formerly of Eagle’s Production] award winning ‘Tuli Kubunkenke’ (we are under tension) released in 2005 in the run-up to the 2006 elections got him summoned several times by security agencies to clarify on the lyrics of the song which was said would likely to incite violence.
In 2007, Mayinja released ‘Africa’, another song about the hopeless state of the continent-plagued by corruption, hunger, dictators, diseases but yet with vast natural wealth. In 2014, he released Tuwalana Nguzi (we are against corruption) which were all received positively because they held leaders accountable. Today, Mayinja is in the NRM tent.