Panic in USA after 5 Ugandan artistes, comedians are denied Visas

Organisers of the Uganda diaspora convention in Chicago have been left stunned after almost all the artistes and comedians they had contacted to perform at the event were denied entry visas to the United States of America.

The organisers under their umbrella UNAA, had advertised artistes; John Kasadha, alias John Blaq, Goerge Williams Kigozi alias Geo Steady, Naira Ali, Fille Mutoni and Keneth Mugabi to perform at their September convention in Chicago, but the said artistes have not been cleared by the embassy with just a month to spare.

Nile Post understands that even Ugandan comedians that had been expected to perform at the said event have had their visa requests turned down.

UNAA president, Monday Atigo in a Facebook post confirmed that the association is trying to appeal the visa rejections in time.

“To all our UNAA members, all our artistes’ P3 petitions are being processed and updates shall be provided as soon as they are approved,” Atigo said.

P3 petitions are supposed to be related to work permits, hence the artistes were denied Visas since UNAA did not process their work permits to enable them to perform in the USA.

Nile Post contacted Geo Steady regarding his visa situation, but the artiste murmured a few words inaudibly before switching off the call and refusing to pick after.

Entertainment website Sqoop, confirms that they contacted Kenneth Mugabi who maintained that he was never contracted and “didn’t bother to go for the visa’ despite being advertised for the event until to date.

Sqoop also states that Singer Geosteady’s manager Denis Blackman said that the organisers told them to wait as the situation is still being handled.

Our source in the USA confirms that the visa denial has created a crisis, with organisers now pouncing on any artistes in sight as it looks inevitable to register no single artiste worth the name.

“A Crisis conference call of UNAA Executives decided to release the voters register 13 days earlier than the scheduled date of August 1st, 2019 in an effort to destruct from the Visa scandal,’ the source confirmed.

This is not the first time UNAA is suffering such mishaps, last year, Eddie Yawe who had been invited for their convention in Seattle was denied a visa citing a previous case of overstay.

In 2017, the same group had singers; Radio and Weasel pull out of their convention in Miami on the last day after they were contracted by Club Pilsner for an event in Masaka and had no visas.