The President of the Uganda National Musicians Federation, Edrisa Musuuza alias Eddy Kenzo has welcomed Parliament’s passage of the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2025, describing it as a historic turning point for Uganda’s creative industry.
In a statement, Musuuza said the law offers a “life-changing opportunity” for artists to finally earn from their work and intellectual property.
“Finally we can earn from our works and sweat,” he said, noting that the legislation provides a long-awaited legal framework to protect creatives.
He thanked Yoweri Museveni for fulfilling his pledge to support the sector, and praised Parliament’s leadership, including Speaker Anita Among and Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa, for steering the bill to passage after more than two years of consultations.
Musuuza also acknowledged the contributions of Justice Minister Norbert Mao, the Attorney General, Members of Parliament and other stakeholders, including Gen. Salim Saleh, calling the development a collective victory for creatives.
The amended law introduces major reforms aimed at modernising Uganda’s copyright regime for the digital age. Under the new framework, artists will earn 60 percent of caller ring-back tone revenue, while telecom companies take 31.5 percent and aggregators 8.5 percent.
Broadcasters will also be required to pay artists for the commercial use of their content, ending the long-standing practice of “free airplay for promotion.”
In addition, a digital tracking system will be introduced to monitor music and film usage in bars and media houses, ensuring proper royalty collection through bodies such as the Uganda Performing Right Society.
Despite the milestone, Musuuza said urgent steps are needed to operationalise the law, including finalising regulations and rolling out a national copyright management system.
“We still have a lot to achieve, but our hope is now strengthened more than ever,” he said.
Industry players say effective implementation will be critical to tackling piracy, improving royalty collection and unlocking the creative sector’s full economic potential.