The Ministry of ICT and National Guidance has launched Sauti Ya Uganda, a nationwide singing competition aimed at promoting patriotism by encouraging Ugandans to learn, appreciate and confidently sing the country’s national anthems.
Launched under the theme “One Nation, One Voice,” the initiative seeks to popularise Uganda’s national anthems while rekindling citizens’ pride in the country’s identity, heritage and values through music.
Speaking during the launch on Friday, Uganda Media Centre Executive Director Alan Kasujja, who represented the Minister of ICT and National Guidance, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, described the competition as a national movement designed to inspire unity and strengthen appreciation for Uganda.
Kasujja called upon Ugandans with the ability to confidently sing the national anthems to register and participate in the competition.
“Anybody who can sing can enter the competition. If you are great as a band or choir, you can also enter the competition,” Kasujja said.
The competition will be conducted across all regions of Uganda, with each regional winner receiving Shs20 million. The regional champions will then compete at the national level, where the overall winner will walk away with a Shs100 million grand prize.
Organisers said the initiative is also part of activities aimed at building national pride ahead of Uganda’s co-hosting of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). The AFCON organising committee supported the initiative with a contribution of Shs100 million.
As part of efforts to expand participation, organisers launched the #SautiYaUganda TikTok Challenge, which will run for seven days. Participants will compete for daily prizes of Shs1 million, while the overall online challenge winner will receive Shs5 million.
The ministry is encouraging Ugandans from different backgrounds to record themselves singing the national anthem and share their performances on TikTok using the hashtag #SautiYaUganda.
Officials said the campaign is intended to increase the number of Ugandans who can recite the national anthem by heart while promoting patriotism, unity and pride in the country’s identity.
Competition ambassador, veteran musician and journalist Halima Namakula, welcomed the initiative, saying it would help Ugandans “rediscover their love for the Pearl of Africa.”
Swangz Avenue co-founder Benon Mugumbya also pledged to provide recording opportunities for some participants, highlighting the Makerere University Choir, which performed the national anthems during the launch.
Kasujja revealed that the idea behind the competition was inspired by a personal experience after he asked a colleague to sing the national anthem and discovered she could not complete it.
“She was only able to sing, ‘We young women and men of Uganda,’ and that shocked me,” Kasujja told the audience.
Interested participants can access registration forms through the Uganda Media Centre’s official X platform.
