The much-awaited fete to determine Uganda’s best ‘Country Music’ (Kadongokamu) singer came to a climax on Saturday, December 16, with renowned musician Lord Fred Ssebatta winning the overall prize of 50 million Uganda shillings.
The year-long search, the brainchild of Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) Supremo General Caleb Akandwanaho aka Gen. Salim Saleh, was graced by several Kadongokamu singers, encouraged by thousands of fans who braved the mid-morning heat at the Kololo Independence Grounds.
The OWC is an arm of the Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF), which promotes a number of wealth-generating opportunities and resources through sensitization and skills equipment.
“By putting up these Kadongokamu competitions we offer other service providers such as security, ushers, ticketing and caterers with job opportunities, not just the artistes competing in it,” Gen. Salim Saleh, the OWC Chief Coordinator, said during the last competitions.
According to Salim Saleh, a Four-Star General, OWC zeroed in on the entertainment industry because it is a very fertile sector in Uganda’s economy in terms of raw talent and outreach.
And, despite the absence of Gen. Salim Saleh, his second in command at OWC Lieutenant General Angina ably presided over the event, urging the people to work hand in hand with the army to ensure that poverty is completely eradicated from the country.
“Thank God, first and foremost, because we would not be here today if it wasn’t for Him. I also want you to thank General Salim Saleh, who came up with the idea of Operation Wealth Creation and organized this event today,” Lt. Gen. Angina said as he walked the crowd through a military-style handclap that resonated across the Kololo Grounds.
Indeed, at Kololo one was met with vendors of all types of merchandise and promoters of various businesses, most of who were beneficiaries of the OWC initiative.
But while many made money through vending, the others took solace in the free food provided to make merry at the fete that came just about a week to Christmas.
Indeed, Boda Boda cyclist Ismail Mutabazi, couldn’t help but appreciate the inclusiveness and overwhelming hospitality the UPDF extended as they catered for the thousands who thronged the venue, getting culinary entertainment including refreshments and food.
“I ate a lot of food and there was still a lot left; I couldn’t throw away the meat so I packed it in a polythene bag and took to my colleagues at the stage,” Mutabazi said.
Meanwhile, on the entertainment scene many singers vying for the attractive prizes gave the crowds more reason to cheer as several big names in the local music industry including YKbenda, Radio and Weasel as well as Winnie Nwagi, took to the stage with a number of energetic performances that left the revellers yearning for more.
The event went on till late with the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Gen. Kale Kayihura making an appearance and addressing the crowds, urging them to invest in their various talents and to use the gifts to create a better and safer environment for all Ugandans.
Similarly, the KandongoKamu genre that was promoted throughout this year’s campaign carried with it a theme of specific historical context that many Ugandans could allude to.
Loosely translated as the ‘single-small guitar’, Kandongokamu, a cocktail of oral literature, tales of history and legends past, is passed down from one generation to another, and originally came at a time when the country now known as Uganda was still virgin.
The Kadongokamu genre, regarded an educative and enlightening form of entertainment for most rural inhabitants today, was also instrumental in rallying Ugandans attain Independence in 1962.
And it is against such a background that the OWC chose to not only use it as a marketing avenue but also as an educational tool.
Meanwhile, the several jaw-dropping performances during the Kololo fete was further lit by the presence of the Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga, who later on awarded the four winners of the Kandongokamu contest.
And finally, after a tight race, Lord Fred Ssebatta emerged the overall winner of the Shs50 million Grand Prize, followed by an equally happy Vincent Seggawa, who took home Shs25 million.
However, the downside to the otherwise successful OWC-sponsored event was that some people seem not to appreciate that the Kadongokamu competitions/galas are the best options in efforts to curb the poverty levels obtaining in Uganda.
