KAMPALA – An artiste has written to President Museveni, requesting him to pay him Shs5bn for composing the ‘Another rap’ song, which was used in the 2011 presidential elections.
Mr Richard Kawesa, through his lawyers Ms Muwema and Company Advocates on October 30, claims that the President should compensate for the copyright of the song since it made him more popular.
The constitution protects the President from any prosecution and Mr Kawesa says the letter is not a notice of intention to sue but rather a request from the President for consideration.
“This song also became a popular ringtone which obtained on all mobile telecommunication platforms and enhanced the top of the mind awareness of your brand to the Ugandan populace while making billions of shillings in royalty fees in the process. It is the reason we hold that the politico-commercial value and mileage you extracted from the said song is very substantial and undisputable,” the letter, also copied to the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) reads in part.
“Our client considers that it would be unfair to take away the copyright ownership of this song from you at this stage and will therefore not be seeking the cancellation of its copyright registration which is in your names, unless it becomes necessary,” the letter adds.
Mr Kawesa contends that Mr Museveni took all moral and economic rights to the said song and even registered its copyright without recognizing his associate band as author, director and producer of the works.
When contacted, Senior Presidential Press Secretary Don Wanyama said he had not yet seen the notice but said the president’s lawyers would respond appropriately when they see it.
President Museveni’s 2010 ‘Yee Ssebo’ rap song was a campaign hit that he used to woo young voters to rally behind him for a new presidential term.
