Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine has claimed that president Museveni is using Uganda Musician Association (UMA) to fight him with the aim of crippling the growth and progress of the industry.
UMA is an umbrella that brings together all musicians in Uganda with the aim of music development as well as looking out for their welfare.
But speaking to the media over the weekend, Kyagulanyi claimed that Museveni and his brother Salim Saleh don’t want to see any artiste grow rich. He argued that they fear artistes as potential rivals for power hence impoverishing them.
“We are the one who started UMA and I was the first secretary general of the association and silver Kyagulanyi (singer) was the first president of the association. If you can remember, we had a meeting at the national theatre to fight some of the draconian laws that were put in place to frustrate artistes,” he said.
Kyagulanyi who is also the leader of the National Unity Platform (NUP) said UMA would be very powerful body by now but the regime has been using it to cause division among creative artists.
“Somehow, he will try to use and divide you. The association has been reduced to fighting Bobi Wine. Museveni is not supposed to be a member of UMA because he is not a musician. It should not be Salim Saleh. Artistes should not go to beg Salim Saleh for any help,” he said.
Kyagulanyi said artistes are creative people with rich content who are not supposed to become beggars in the country.
“You are the one who God has bestowed his favour upon. It is very unfortunate that our artistes can’t see this but others are aware of this because I speak to some of these artistes,” he said.
Kygulanyi ,who endorsed Manisul Ssemanda alias King Saha for UMA president last year, said the regime is deliberately using divide and rule to cause division among the artistes.
He said any initiative geared towards uniting the industry is always frustrated by the regime.
“He (King Saha) actually consulted me and asked me what he could do when he becomes the president of UMA. We gave him our views but when the regime got to know that I am close to the singer, it frustrated the election because they didn’t want a free and fair election,” he claimed.
He said that it is long overdue for them to wake up and join the effort of liberating Uganda.
“Artistes should come out and support our cause of liberating Uganda. If I become the president of Uganda, the entertainment industry will change overnight. You will get the respect you deserve as artistes,”he said.
In 2022, the government suspended UMA election following the wrangles among artistes. The current president of the association is Cindy Sanyu who took the mantle from Singer Wycliffe Tugume aka Ykee Benda during Covid-19 period.
