This archive report was first published on 9 October 2019.
On October 3, 2019, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni officially registered with the Uganda Music Association (UMA) as a musician, marking a significant move in the country's music scene.
According to UMA president Sophie Ggombya, Museveni's registration was facilitated by his manager Balaam Barugahare, who paid the mandatory subscription fees, including an identification card, amounting to Ugx 50,000.
Speaking to the press at Kololo Airstrip in central Kampala, Barugahare displayed the payment slip, which has sparked widespread attention and speculation about Museveni's intentions.
Insiders claim that Museveni, a 74-year-old rapper, is repositioning himself to counterbalance the influence and threat posed by pop stars turned politicians Bobi Wine and Jose Chameleone.
Chameleone's decision to ditch Museveni's National Resistance Movement (NRM) ahead of his 2021 bid for the Kampala Lord Mayor position did not help matters.
Museveni is said to be working on an album that he will reportedly use during the campaigns as he is widely expected to seek re-election in 2021.
His registration with UMA comes amidst reports that his government is working on legislation to tame 'rogue' musicians who attack the government in song.
President Museveni has a history of engaging with musicians, having met American rapper Kanye West and his wife Kim Kardashian at State House Uganda in 2018.
