In a recent verbal exchange, Eddy Kenzo didn’t hold back in criticizing Bobi Wine for disseminating inaccurate information regarding supplementary funding for musicians.
Despite Bobi Wine’s vocal stance against artists receiving government handouts, he recently asserted that a substantial amount of Shs30 billion had been allocated to musicians. However, it appears that this claim is not entirely accurate.
The Ministry of Finance has indeed committed Shs13 billion to support artists through the Microfinance Support Centre. These funds are intended for capitalizing the performing artists’ SACCO, enabling them to offer financial services to stakeholders in the Creative Industry and facilitating the development of structures for the Creative Industry and Artists.
Addressing the media on Tuesday, December 13, Eddy Kenzo expressed his disappointment, stating, “Bobi needs to hire a research team that won’t feed him wrong information. His party has representation in parliament, and I would expect him to have accurate information. It’s absurd that at his level he can still be misled.”
According to Kenzo, the promised Shs30 billion has not been received, and he remarked, “Unless he knows something we don’t.”
Bobi Wine’s characterization of musicians seeking government funding as beggars has not been well-received by many in the industry. Bebe Cool dismissed Bobi Wine’s claims as politically motivated, stating,
“Bobi Wine knows that if us musicians are better financially, he loses clout. He embarks on uninformed talks to intimidate his fellow artists to fall under his trap.”
Bebe Cool further asserted that Bobi Wine’s belief that he holds the key to the success of music concerts is misguided, emphasizing, “He presumes everyone should believe in what he believes in. Naaaah. We just want better laws for all of us.”
