During an event where he launched musical album on September 17,2023, President Museveni advised musicians not to rely solely on their music careers if they want to build wealth.
Museveni officiated at the launch of the “Museveni Awooma” music album at Kololo Independence Grounds in Kampala. The album launch was organised by singer Munamasaka Emma Nsereko.
The emphasized that there are four key sectors of the economy: the service sector, which includes music and drama, agriculture, industries, and information and communication technology (ICT).
Museveni explained that it’s essential for individuals to have a presence in at least one of these sectors to ensure their economic well-being. He cited the example of Munamasaka, a teacher who also ventured into music, as a successful model of diversification.
“You cannot do music or drama if you don’t have what to eat. That is how we go to the sectors of agriculture, livestock and Fisheries. Some of the Bazukulu must be in that sector of agriculture because if we don’t do that and we stay only in service then that means we shall begin to import food from outside and that will be very difficult and yet we have got a good possibility of agriculture. The third sector is industries both big and small. The fourth one is ICT. That one there you can be here in Kampala and do what we call Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) with companies in Canada on the internet and earn some good money.” he said
Adding that : “I want to congratulate Munamasaka for using his musical talent to promote NRM and development. I first saw Munamasaka in the Mukono area, he was singing indigenous songs and I liked them so much. He was using the indigenous tunes but putting in new messages and this is what we used to do in the bush; this is how we used to mobilize our people; using the Bakisimba and Nankasa tunes,”
The President stressed the importance of not depending solely on the service sector and highlighted the need for involvement in agriculture to secure food production for the nation. He also mentioned the significance of industries and ICT in wealth creation.
“We shall have some singers, others will be actors/actresses but you must do other things and as I told you there are four sectors of the economy; this one of singing is in the service sector which includes sub-sectors like music, drama, transport, hospitality, salons, the medical treatment, accounting and auditing, preaching. Those are all in the service sector,” he explained.
Additionally, Museveni pledged his support to musicians by providing funds and equipment to nurture their talents. He expressed the intention to convene a meeting with musicians to discuss the establishment of a common user facility, such as a recording studio, where they can collaborate and create music more affordably.
The event, attended by thousands of people, featured various artists’ performances and was graced by the presence of government officials, including the Minister for Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs, Hajjat Minsa Kabanda, and KCCA Executive Director, Ms. Dorothy Kisaka, among others