Allegations surrounding the unfair distribution of Museveni’s Ugx 5 billion stimulus package to the Uganda National Musicians Federation is still causing unrest among musicians.
The latest is Swangz Avenue’s songstress Azawi, born Priscilla Zawedde who has come out to accuse top artistes at the Musicians Federation leadership led by President Eddy Kenzo of pocketing the fattest amounts of the exhibit in relation to others.
Through a sensitive post on her X platform, the ‘Teeba’ singer has confidently come out to pin the Musicians Federation top leadership led by Kenzo and Sheebah among others of getting fattest amounts which they aren’t obliged to return back and in the contrary, the struggling musicians being the ones demanded to get loans.
“The Federation SACCO money was given out but it’s shocking that the already “established” artists are the ones that got the fattest amounts and are not obliged to pay back. (as in bbo babawa buwi kavangata)
However those who struggling are the ones are borrowing. My question is,” tweeted Azawi.
Boom.co.ug has learnt how prominent artists who sit on the federation like Hanson Baliruno ( a member of the loans committee) Eddy Kenzo and Sheebah Karungi who is Kenzo’s deputy received each shs 200million while Ykee Benda and David Lutalo we’re allocated she 100 million non returnable.
Jose Chameleone bagged shs 150 million after refusing the initial shs 30 million that had been allocated to him while some lesser known musicians received meagre sums of shillings 2million while in a stark of a contrast, King Saha refused the shs 20million allocated to him and has since started up a verbal attack against Eddy Kenzo.
Azawi is henceforth worried if the struggling artistes know the failure of paying back government money as she is certain the might take their entire music catalogue if they fail to pay back.
However, Eddy Kenzo in his defense reaffirms the fact that the money that was disbursed to musicians were loans, not grants and the beneficiaries are liable of paying it back.
“No single musician received money freely; they will pay it back whoever applied for the money since there is evidence.”-Eddy Kenzo
Co flicking reports indicate how some musicians never applied nor signed for any documents, raising serious questions about the accountability and transparency of the process.
The shs 5million stimulus package intended to uplift Uganda’s Music Industry has instead sown discord and controversy amongst artistes particularly members of the UNMF.
