Kagadi Artists Demand Equal Stage Time at Presidential Functions

14 November 2025, 12:34 pm

By James Muhumuza

Kagadi artists say they hope this time their voices will be heard and that the stage will finally belong to both national stars and the homegrown talent that anchors the cultural fabric of Bunyoro.

Local artists in Kagadi District have voiced growing frustration over the continued dominance of Kampala-based musicians at presidential events held in Bunyoro sub-region.

The artists say they are consistently sidelined in favor of performers from the capital City, despite the abundance of local talent capable of representing and promoting the region’s culture.

The concerns surfaced last evening during a meeting at Rock Country Inn in Kagadi Town Council, where dozens of musicians convened to discuss the challenges facing the district’s entertainment industry.

The renewed outcry follows the announcement that President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni will launch his presidential campaigns in Western Uganda on November 24^th, 2025, a high-profile event that local entertainers fear may once again exclude them.

Asiimwe Raise a producer and musician, appealed to organizers to ensure Bunyoro artists are given a meaningful platform during the campaigns.

“We have the talent, we have the audience, and we have the cultural identity — yet we continue to be pushed aside whenever big events come to our own region,” he said during the meeting.

“This bias toward Kampala artists must stop.

We also deserve recognition and opportunities.”

Asiimwe added that local performers have repeatedly felt ignored in favor of high-profile musicians from Kampala, even during events intended to celebrate the Bunyoro region.

He called for reforms and a more inclusive selection process for performers at national functions.

Elia Abigaba, popularly known as MC Simple and chairperson of the Kagadi Musicians Team No Stress Movement SACCO, urged senior government officials to intervene.

“We call upon Prime Minister Robinah Nabanja, Finance Minister Matia Kasaija and State Minister Fred Byamukama to champion our cause,” Abigaba said.

“We need their support to link us with the Office of the President so that local talent can finally be empowered and recognized.”

Other musicians at the meeting noted that performance fees and campaign facilitation funds often flow exclusively to a small group of Kampala-based artists.

This, they said, leaves Bunyoro’s entertainers without opportunities and with limited resources to develop their careers.

They also explained the need for financial support to grow the local music industry.

“Many of us lack the capital to produce quality music, promote our work or even buy equipment,” one artist said.

“We appeal to President Museveni to directly support the entertainment sector here so that our talent can thrive.”