Artistes are running to people power to attract Museveni’s money- Minister

The minister without Portfolio, Abdul Nadduli has cautioned President Museveni to treat artistes and promoters on the opposition with all scorn he can afford, claiming they are targeting his money.

Nadduli said that specific people like Andrew Mukasa alias Bajjo and Abbey Musinguzi alias Abitex, together with a litany of artistes and promoters are only playing a game to siphon money from the President.

The minister advised the President to leave such people in the cold and treat them harshly, instead of going behind cameras and awarding them large sums of money for their silence.

“This is being a coward, when these people are claiming to be serious opposition, treat them as so, don’t go dishing them money. Let them suffer with their opposition,” Nadduli said.

“Those artistes abusing government because they have gotten a chance to hold a microphone, arrest them and let the law deal with them. If an artiste goes to the pulpit and stands to abuse government, then that person is not an artiste, arrest them according to the law,” he added.

Nadduli said that all the artistes claiming to be on opposition will disjoint and run back to government at the right time if left alone. He however, claims that the act of dishing money to artistes in exchange for their silence will only create more of them on opposition with the same goal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CDMZaFaw2c

In the recent months, a number of artistes and event promoters have come up to associate with Bobi Wine’s People Power, with some claiming they share the same ideology.

Following the cancellation of Kyarenga concerts early this year, a group of promoters went bare knuckles on government before a Shs2.6b token from president Museveni silenced them temporarily.

Singer Hilary Kiyaga alias Doctor Hilderman, on Tuesday lambasted promoters of the Kyarenga concerts accusing them of betraying Bobi Wine for President Museveni’s money.

President Museveni ordered Shs2.6b to be given to promoters and artistes who made loses when police cancelled Kyarenga concerts that had been organised by Bobi Wine.

Among the promoters and artistes that claimed to have made losses due to the debacle include; Abbey Musinguzi alias Abittex, Andy Mukasa Bajjo, Juma Balunywa, Emma Serugo, promoter Fifi  and Tony Ssempijja who represented the Uganda Music Promoters and Venue Owners Network, among others.

The said money was distributed to promoters by Ssempijja and an additional Shs200m channeled to a circle for artistes.

However, ever since the cash out, the promoters that were initially noisy and proclaiming undying support for Bobi Wine and People Power, have gone under the covers, raising suspicion.

Dr Hilderman lashed out at the promoters for betraying artistes and taking money as primary compared to the rights and freedoms of Bobi Wine.

“What has killed this nation is people who don’t want to make losses but want other to. The promoters should have cared more about the rights of Bobi Wine rather than their money they lost.  It is up to them to know that this country’s situation also concerns them,” Hilderman said.

“I would expect such people to fight for Bobi Wine and the entire fraternity. At the end of the day it is doing the right thing,”he added.