14/10/2025
Artists, Musicians Clash with JM Kennedy Leadership Over Unpaid Dues and Accountability
By Daily West Nile News Desk
Hotel Le Confidentiel, Kampala โ October 13, 2025
Tensions flared yesterday at Hotel Le Confidentiel as a group of artists and musicians voiced their dissatisfaction with the current leadership of the Uganda National Musicians Federation (UNMF) under JM Kennedy. The heated meeting, convened by UMF President Eddy Kenzo, brought to light growing frustrations over unpaid performance fees and alleged lack of transparency within the federation.
According to Kenzo, the controversy stems from non-payment of artists who performed during the NRM campaign rallies at Golf Grounds earlier this year. He revealed that musicians were categorized into three clusters for payment โ with Cluster One receiving UGX 2 million, Cluster Two UGX 1 million, and Cluster Three UGX 500,000 per artist. However, several artists claim they never received any of the promised funds.
Beyond the payment dispute, artists also expressed concern over poor accountability and failure by the current leadership to hold meetings or communicate with members. โThe federation cannot operate like a private business,โ one artist lamented. โWe deserve to know how the money is used and why some regions are favored over others.โ
In response to these grievances, President Eddy Kenzo urged artists to formally write to the Federation, requesting the suspension of a UGX 100 million fund that was reportedly about to be dispatched to the West Nile artistsโ account. Many members claimed they were unaware of this transaction, calling for a full audit and explanation from Kennedyโs leadership.
The standoff marks yet another chapter in the ongoing struggle for financial accountability and unity within Ugandaโs music fraternity. As investigations continue, the UMF leadership faces mounting pressure to restore trust and transparency among its members.
