Corruption Allegation: Musicians Eddy Kenzo, Sheebah, Juliana and Co Face Arrest Over Shs 5 Billion UNMF Money.

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📸: Musician Eddy Kenzo performs on stage. Courtesy Photo.

 

Several artistes under the Uganda National Musicians Federation (UNMF) which is headed by Eddy Kenzo, are in trouble after it emerged that they allegedly misappropriated over Shs5Bn that they received from President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni as a stimulus fund to boost the arts and creatives industry.

It should be noted that a few weeks ago, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni revealed that corruption is a major impediment to the country’s full socio-economic transformation. The President revealed this during the 2024/25 budget reading, where he reiterated his vow to fight graft.

“We are going to stamp out corruption. I don’t know how they [the corrupt] forget that we have got a lot of power [and] capacity, which we shall use, if necessary…these corrupt people insult our heroes,” he said.

Well, it has since been established that corruption is not only rife among government officials and politicians, but also has deep roots within the creatives industry and that a selected few top artistes allegedly pocketed the money that Museveni gave to the Federation, instead of setting up projects that would also benefit other artistes.

Reports reaching us indicate that allegations surrounding the unfair distribution of Museveni’s Ugx5 billion stimulus package to the Uganda National Musicians Federation might see top artistes like Eddy Kenzo , Sheebah Karungi, Pallaso Mayanja, Juliana Kanyomozi*, Hanson Baliruno and others end up in Anti-Corruption Court or to Luzira Prison, over corruption charges.

Sources privy to this matter indicate that when the Shs5Bn was released from Hon. Haruna Kyeyune Kasolo’s docket under the Ministry for Finance, Planning, and Economic Development (Microfinance) of the Government of Uganda, was disbursed for the UNMF SACCO to help struggling musicians make ends meet.

It is said however that the money ended up being shared among the already ‘established’ artists, many of whom invested it in personal businesses, instead of setting projects that would enable other artists and stakeholders in the country to benefit from the Presidential package.

Worse still is that many of the artists who shared the money have since failed to account for it, a matter that has since attracted the attention of the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, the Inspector General of Government (IGG), and other concerned authorities, who are currently investigating the matter.

It is revealed that prominent artists who sit on the Federation received Shs200M each, while others who follow in the ranks were allocated Shs100m, with an understanding that the money is not a loan, so they don’t have to return any proceeds.

As if in a bid to cover up the graft, it’s said that a few struggling artists were allocated Shs2M each so that they could be gagged from making noise about the top artists who took the lion share.

Sources say that Kenzo has been telling all and sundry that the monies that were disbursed to musicians were loans, not grants and that the beneficiaries are liable for paying it back.

However, facts on the ground indicate that most artistes never signed any documents in regard to seeking a loan from the Federation, which raises serious questions about the accountability and transparency of the process that Kenzo and his colleagues followed when dishing out the money.

Although originally UNMF aimed to unite musicians and promote their interests in Uganda by bringing together all associations in the industry under one umbrella, it has so far created more divisions among musicians and already some musicians have petitioned the CID, IGG, and other authorities to investigate the Federation’s leadership team.

We have learnt that a team from the office of the IGG is slated to carry out investigations in the UNMF structures that include its leadership team and the committees, to establish how the money was misappropriated and who is accountable for the same.

So far, insiders reveal that Kenzo is in panic due to accountability issues since he had extended huge amounts of money to well-known artists like Jose Chameleone, Bebe Cool, David Lutalo , Pastor Wilson Bugembe , Ykee Benda, Levixon, Weasel, Fred Ssebata and others, as long as the artiste is not leaning to the National Unity Platform.

It is alleged part of the Shs5Bn was used to sort out the bill at Allure Hotel in Bunamwaya owned by businesswoman Ester Ampumuza , where UNMF has its headquarters, and it’s where the Federation holds its weekly jam sessions.

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