There is something that often strikes me when I attend some events including government functions, local council meetings at our town hall and radio talk shows on local stations.
I sometimes think that I am one of the youngest people around attending; I always do this because my interest is in submitting comments as a member of the interested public.
But I can’t actually vote on the different issues being deliberated upon, making me powerless to actually vote on things that affect me like increases in the various taxes by the town council, mistreatment of taxi drivers by the taxi park operators and many other things that hurt me.
I always attend such important sessions because all issues that are discussed are important and as a citizen I always feel like taking an active role in my community because I want to represent voices that might otherwise go unheard.
Many at such meetings include people in their 40s and 50s, but few in their 20’s like me, and even fewer under 30.
There aren’t many youth and young adults, and even though I can hardly be classified as ‘young’, people still take me for a young person who doesn’t add value to anything and this is because the youth of Uganda have always decided to engage in non-issues.
The age difference between me and the next youngest person is apparently significant enough to merit a second glance and a confused expression. People find it perplexing that a ‘young’ person would be interested in national affairs — and on more than a few occasions, my suggestions have been ignored, with some calling me a bootlicker because I espouse divergent ideas.
It is worth noting that many decisions made by Parliament, local councils and various municipal agencies have a direct effect on the youthful population. But it is also true that young adults work and pay taxes which in turn, help their communities. Some don’t leave in those communities where they are born and raised, but they may return to reinvest in their communities at some point in their lives.
Indeed, they have an interest in what happens where they live and that interest should be cultivated and rewarded instead of being thrown out to dry. Moreover, youth often have interesting, thoughtful and innovative ideas because they’re approaching situations from new perspectives. That means they are of immense value.
I see many youth who can do good things for this country but they are instead being used by politicians to fulfill their selfish interests. I have always felt sorry for some youth at Makerere University who are always arrested because of organizing strikes; they are always arrested and their being in prison has never been a solution to any problem in this country.
And one wonders whether these youth cannot involve themselves in politics by contesting rather than joining political strikes and riots in the city.
Indeed, as the youth of this generation, we seriously need to involve ourselves in clean politics, not the politics of blackmail, intrigue, fights, strikes and the politics of propaganda because those we call our mentors like Mandela, Museveni, Obama, Trump and many others have no record of ever being bad politicians in their youthful years.
The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has organized a week-long blood donation drive through which the tax agency hopes to collect 1000 units of blood from Kampala residents and visitors.
URA Manager Public and Corporate Affairs, Ian Rumanyika said the drive which begins from February 5-9, 2018 is a response to an acute shortage of blood in public health facilities countrywide.
According to Rumanyika, two collection centers will be set up at the URA headquarters in Nakawa and the agency’s Crested Towers office, Kampala. The centers will open at 8:00am and close at 5:00pm daily for the planned period.
The drive will be a joint activity with the Nakasero Blood Bank, which will send teams to the two locations to collect the blood.
Uganda needs about 340,000 units of blood annually but collects about 200,000 annually, with students among the regular donors. But this time Rumanyika has urged taxpayers and stakeholders among them clearing agents to also donate blood at the two locations.
Following the shortage, a countrywide blood donation campaign was launched by the Health Ministry on January 16, 2018.
Other agencies like the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) have been involved in the same activity aimed at collecting blood to save patients in hospitals.
Every entrepreneur has blind spots which limit their effectiveness and success, but due to ego, over-confidence, or deferential subordinates, many live totally in the dark. Some are smart and humble enough to assume that they don’t know what they don’t know, but lack an effective process for shining a light on their blind spots. Both are equally surprised by their every setback.
I recently found some real insight on this subject in a classic book by Robert Bruce Shaw, aptly named “Leadership Blindspots.” Shaw specializes in organizational performance and has helped a wealth of business leaders identify and overcome their weaknesses. He provides a detailed analysis of the blind spots of many well-known business powerhouses.
Shaw argues that every successful leader balances two conflicting needs. The first is to act with a confidence in their abilities and faith in their vision for their organization: The second is to be aware of their own limitations and avoid the hazards that come with overconfidence and excessive optimism. That means that they have to see themselves and situations accurately.
I agree with him that the best way to do this is to continually ask the right questions, in the right way, to avoid and identify blind spots. Here are some key guidelines that we both offer to entrepreneurs to drive this process:
Avoid yes-or-no questions.Closed-end questions (yes-no) are efficient, but don’t surface data that may be critical to a leader’s understanding. Questions are called open-ended when they allow for a variety of responses and provoke a richer discussion. These allow a leader to know what he doesn’t know, and ultimately make a better decision.
Don’t lead the witness. Hard-charging leaders often push to confirm their own assumptions about what is occurring in a given situation and what is needed moving forward. This can result in questions that are really disguised statements, like “doesn’t this mean that we really don’t have a quality problem?” These usually prevent contrary points of view and further data from surfacing.
Beware of evasive answers. All too often, people will avoid giving direct answers to direct questions. They may not know the answers or not want to provide the answers, to appear smart, or not want to offer incriminating data. Leaders need to keep coming back with directed questions until they get a straightforward answer or “We don’t know.”
Ask for supporting data or examples. Leaders need to ask questions that surface points of view and, at the appropriate time, also clarify which answers are based on fact and which are based on speculation. They should encourage people to say what they know from data and what they think they know, and make sure they clarify the difference.
Paraphrase to surface next-level details. One technique to push people to provide more information is to paraphrase what you are hearing. While this may result in a yes or no response, proceeding to next-level questions opens up the dialogue. Smart leaders sometimes mis-paraphrase what they are hearing in order to provoke a richer dialogue.
Ask for alternatives. Another approach to surfacing non-confirming data is to overtly ask for an opposing point of view. A related line of questioning is to ask the respondent to alter his or her fundamental position, like “You are asking for $10 million to grow this brand. What more could you do if we gave you $25 million?”
Give an opening for additional input. Leaders also need to provide an opportunity for others to offer additional input and, in particular, dissenting views. Often, the final moments of discussions are the richest, as people will wait until that time to surface what is really important to them. Ask if there is anything left unsaid that should be heard.
In today’s global business world, you should assume that all your peers are smart and experienced, but have blind spots just like you. These are automatic behaviors that are not flaws, but they do need to be identified and mitigated by continually asking the right questions as outlined here.
Otherwise they will undermine your organizational performance and may well destroy your legacy when you least expect it. Early learning is a lot easier than a later recovery.
The relaes by the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC).
The price of a barrel of crude oil has gone up by US18 dollars over the last four months, leading to an increase in the pump prices in Uganda.
According to the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC), the prices have gone up from US$50 to US$68, while locally the cost of a dollar has gone up by Shs 100, from Shs3550 to 3650, factors that have contributed to the increased prices.
Meanwhile, the UNOC says that apart from the increase in dollar rates, there are two other factors that have contributed to increased prices: delayed Open Tender System (OTS) in Kenya and the commissioning of the Mombasa-Nairobi ‘line 5’.
‘The OTS has had to deal with one cancelled tender while another one has been delayed. This has contributed to low supply volumes. Fortunately, this issue has been resolved,’ UNOC wrote about the supply chain.
On commissioning of the Mombasa-Nairobi Line 5 UNOC wrote: ‘This section of the KPC is being developed to address logistics constraints of supplying a market which is growing at 6 percent per annum. Therefore, there is increased demand in volumes outstripping supply’.
DURING THEIR HEYDAYS: Robert Mugabe and his embattled wife Grace Mugabe
The University of Zimbabwe has published former First Lady Grace Mugabe’s PhD thesis after an anti-corruption watchdog said it was investigating whether the wife of ousted President Robert Mugabe was wrongly awarded a doctorate three years ago.
Grace graduated in 2014, the same year she launched her career in the ruling ZANU-PF party, a power push that led ultimately to November’s de facto coup by political rivals worried she was set to take over from her husband.
In contravention of its normal practice, the university did not publish her 226-page thesis, entitled “The changing social structure and functions of the family: The case of children’s homes in Zimbabwe”, until this week, when it was released on its website (http://ir.uz.ac.zw/handle/10646/3463).
It was not clear why Grace, who runs a children’s home near her family dairy farm outside Harare, used her second name and maiden surname – Ntombizodwa G. Marufu – for the paper.
University of Zimbabwe vice chancellor Levi Nyagura did not respond to calls for comment.
There had been widespread speculation that Grace had been fraudulently awarded the doctorate, which was dedicated to her husband “because of his dedication and commitment to the well-being of the people of Zimbabwe”.
But Grace, who was lauded as “learned mother of the nation” by adulating followers, defended her academic record, telling a ZANU-PF rally in September that she had earned her PhD when her detractors thought otherwise.
In its abstract, Grace acknowledged that one weakness of her research was that “some interviewees tended to tell me what they thought I wanted to hear”.
Goodson Nguni, lead investigator at the Zimbabwe Anti Corruption Commission, could not be reached for comment on whether the anti-graft agency would continue with its probe.
New President Emmerson Mnangagwa has made fighting corruption a top priority. Mnangagwa, 75, told the World Economic Forum in Davos this week Mugabe and his wife Grace had not been granted immunity from prosecution
Uganda’s economic performance generally remained strong despite the recent slowdown in real GDP growth, which is projected to reach 5.9% in 2018, up from 4.8% in 2017 and 2.3% in 2016, the Uganda Economic Outlook 2018 indicates.
According to the report, the increase in economic growth in 2018 is expected to be driven mainly by public infrastructure investment; recovery in manufacturing and construction and improvements in the services sector, particularly finance and banking, trade, transport, and information and communication technology services.
Macroeconomic evolution
The Economic Outlook report says Uganda pursued a cautious expansionary fiscal policy stance to support key infrastructure projects in transport and energy, while keeping recurrent expenditure under control. The overall budget deficit was slightly high in 2016, improved in 2017, and is projected to increase in 2018 and 2019.
It notes that Uganda’s balance of payments deteriorated, mainly as the result of external economic headwinds, including low commodity prices due to slow growth in Europe and China and tightening global financial and monetary conditions. “The macroeconomic policy stance remains focused on containing inflationary pressures, enhancing exchange rate stability, and stepping up domestic resource mobilization growth by 0.5 percentage point of GDP,” it says.
It says that Uganda continues to have a low risk of debt distress. However, the debt-to GDP ratio is increasing and is projected to reach 38.6% of GDP in 2016 and 45% by 2020 from 34.1% in 2014. “At these growth rates, the debt burden is growing faster than government resources; the revenue-to-GDP ratio stands at only 13.4%,” it warns. It however, says the most recent International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group debt sustainability analysis in 2016 gives Uganda’s risk of debt distress a low rating.
Tailwinds
Meanwhile, the report indicates that Uganda’s main tailwinds for the 2018 Economic Outlook include increased agricultural production due to better weather conditions; higher foreign direct investment (FDI) flows following the recent issuance of oil exploration licenses; and the expected decision by the government to invest in oil infrastructure development in early 2018, given the projected increase in oil prices to an average of $55 a barrel in 2017–18 from $43 a barrel in 2016.
Headwinds
It adds that the major external risks to Uganda’s economic performance include low commodity prices and demand for the country’s exports in major markets, appreciation of the U.S. dollar due to expected monetary tightening by the United States, tightening of global financing conditions that could discourage FDI and development assistance, adverse spillover shocks from fragile regional neighbors, and adverse environmental shocks.
“Major internal risks include reduced domestic revenue mobilization and higher public spending on contingencies, poor institutional capacity and governance, and weak public financial and investment management systems,” the report indicates.
Uganda’s debt-to-GDP ratio remains above 50 percent, the report says, warning that unless measures are implemented by government to curtail growth in debt, the country could face an implosion in the stock of external debt and servicing costs.
The AfDB report says Africa needs to build infrastructure including roads
Uganda and other African economies have been resilient to negative shocks, but poor infrastructure is a serious impediment to inclusive growth, the 2018 edition of the African Economic Outlook (AEO) indicates.
The African Economic Outlook – the African Development Bank’s flagship analysis of the state of African economies – was Friday presented to key stakeholders on the sidelines of the ongoing 30th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
As a leading African financial institution, AfDB is the first to provide headline numbers on the continent’s macroeconomic performance and outlook.
The Bank’s Chief Economist and Vice-President for Economic Governance and Knowledge Management, Célestin Monga, said the report was presented in January in a bid to give policy-makers enough time to reflect on the recommendations for economic planning and transformation.
The report puts average real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in Africa at 3.6 percent in 2017 − a good recovery from the 2.2 percent recorded in 2016. The 2017 figure is projected to grow by 4.1 percent a year in 2018 and 2019.
Growth was driven by improved global economic conditions, better macroeconomic management, recovery in commodity prices (mainly oil and metals), sustained domestic demand (partly met by import substitution), and improvements in agriculture production.
However, Africa is still experiencing jobless growth due largely to limited structural change. Consequently, sustained high growth has not had substantial impact on job creation. However, about two thirds of countries in Africa have experienced growth acceleration.
“Basically, a growth acceleration period is one in which the average growth rate of GDP per capita over a period of eight years is at least 3.5 percent per annum,” the report notes.
The Commissioner for Economic Affairs at the African Union Commission, Victor Harrison, endorsed the report, urging African countries to adopt the recommendations for inclusive growth.
“These studies present the behaviour of African economies in the face of difficult external conditions and announce the revival of growth with an estimated rate of 4.1 percent in 2018. We all know that growth is not yet inclusive in Africa, and unemployment affects more women and young people,” he told the audience.
Harrison urged member states to improve the business climate and stimulate the private sector to participate in the development.
According to the Outlook’s findings, Africa’s infrastructure is still behind those of other regions in quantity, affordability, and quality due to lack of investment. At the same level of GDP per capita, South Asia, East Asia and Latin America have higher access to electricity and water than most African countries.
It observed that Africa needs higher growth and investment rates, but debt levels must be monitored closely. Public debt ratios are rated to be on the rise, stocked by appetite for infrastructure spending.
Details provided by the Outlook indicate that 40 countries in the region recorded increases in external debt from 2013-2016. Nine countries experienced a decline.
Though there are growing concerns about the debt levels in Africa, the report indicates that if used productively, debt may be necessary to unlock long-term growth potential.
“Tackling poverty will need efforts to increase employment elasticity of growth. The employment elasticity of growth of 0.41 in Africa is below the desirable 0.7 for all developing countries. Pressing policy concern is therefore to ensure that growth is reflected in creation of high and quality jobs,” according to the Outlook.
The report notes that Africa could be the next investment frontier and recommends three options for the international financial community to resolve the savings glut: the adaptation of a policy of more negative real interest rates in high-income countries; the use of excess savings to finance public investment in rich countries; and the facilitation of the flow of capital to developing countries.
Estimates show that investment needs for infrastructure will be in the range of US $130–$170 billion a year.
The problem with the infrastructure-deficit approach is the underlying assumption that one day Africa and the world might be able to resolve it. Yet, throughout history, infrastructure deficit has been a perpetual policy problem and solving this remains a work-in-progress, said Abebe Shimeles, Acting Director for Macroeconomic Policy, Forecasting and Research Department at the African Development Bank.
The Bank proposed that many new financing mechanisms could be implemented in all African countries, taking into account the specific economic circumstances and the productive structures of national economies.
The report urged countries to better leverage public funds and infrastructure investments, while encouraging private-sector participation.
“But the different stages of development of African countries mean that the policy approaches need to be country specific. Universal access to high-quality infrastructure is likely to be a long-term goal,” Shimeles said.
Strategic targeting will be essential. Trying to achieve development with limited resources has led governments to spend too much on too many projects with low economic returns and little impetus for industrial growth and employment creation. But African countries do not need to solve all their infrastructure problems before they can achieve sustained and inclusive growth, the report said.
Instead, African countries should focus on how to best use scarce infrastructure budgets to achieve the highest economic and social returns. One pragmatic approach, the report notes, is the creation of industrial parks.
The AEO also called for infrastructure in special economic zones and industrial parks and the mobilization of domestic resources through well-targeted subsidies and rigorous collection of fees using technology.
It urges Africa to attract more private funding to infrastructure projects, focusing on risk mitigation; to creating an infrastructure asset class to attract institutional investors; choosing appropriate financing instruments to develop infrastructure.
The African Economic Outlook bridges a critical knowledge gap on the diverse socio-economic realities of African economies through regular, rigorous and comparative analysis.
The report is produced annually by the African Development Bank and provides short- to medium-term forecasts on the evolution of key macroeconomic indicators for all 54 regional member countries, as well as analysis on the state of socio-economic challenges and progress made in each country.
City socialite Brian Kirumira aka Brian White has given Shs25 million to singer Moses Nakintije Sekiboogo’s mother Kane Kasuubo to cater for his medical bills at the Case Hospital.
Sekiboogo aka Mowzey Radio was recently involved in an altercation at the De Bar in Entebbe, and sustained grave injuries that saw him admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the upscale hospital in the leafy Nakasero area.
The singer has since shown signs of improvement. “Radio is off life support and can at least make some body movements to show that he can recognise the people around,” his mother was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, Brian White, whose source of ‘wealth’ is scanty, also gave Shs5 million to the medical personnel attending to Radio, as appreciation of their services.
Brian White was last year arrested on charges of attempted murder, and while on remand in Luzira threw a multi-million Christmas party for fellow inmates.
President Yoweri Museveni makes an address at the Liberation Day celebrations in Arua
President Yoweri Museveni has decried the poor usage of roads in Uganda, majorly blaming taxi drivers and boda boda riders for the mischief.
Museveni, who was speaking at the 32nd NRM Liberation Day celebrations at Boma grounds in Arua, said he had received complaints regarding gross road indiscipline from some foreigners living and working in Uganda.
“If you are in Kampala and you see how recklessly the boda boda guys ride, and the taxi drivers drive you are now going to undermine our efforts to bring in more people to Uganda,” Museveni said, and instructed police to address the challenge in order to save the country’s image abroad.
“The police must insist on the proper road code,” he ordered, and cautioned drivers and motorcyclists against driving/riding on the pavement.
“Neither bodaboda nor anybody should drive on the pavement. The side walk is for pedestrians. That will enhance our reputation internationally that Uganda is safe,” Mr. Museveni said.
Mr. Museveni further Uganda is one of the most peaceful communities in the world, and that the few criminals are going to be eliminated.
The President also urged Ugandans to stop using imported goods in order to create market for locally produced goods.
“You are giving away jobs and money by buying clothes, cars, computers, mobile phone and others from other countries,” he said
“We Ugandans have a lot of wealth and we must not use our purchasing power to help others,” Museveni said.
Meanwhile, a total of 200 Ugandans received medals of different categories in recognition of the roles they played in the liberation and transformation of the country.
Notable among the people decorated was the Arua Municipality MP, Ibrahim Abiriga, Bishop Sabino Ochan Odoki, retired Bishop Dr Joel Samson Obetia, Brigadier Dick Olum and several other senior army officers.
ARTS4HART: Derrick Muhanguzi (Co-founder & Lead Act), Pius Andru’da, Migisha Boyd, Roland Aruho and Bijojji Elijah
Moses Nakintije Ssekibogo aka Mowzey Radio was this week reported to have been in a coma for a couple of days after being involved in a scuffle with patrons at De Bar, a local night club in Entebbe.
Although details as to what caused the fight are still unclear, what is clear is that the musician faces an uncertain future as doctors work around the clock to save his life at Case Hospital where he is currently in the ICU, fighting for his life.
Despite the artiste’s profound success and notable achievements, Mowzey Radio’s confrontational nature is as equally responsible for his fame as his talent and recent footage of his drunken skirmish with a traffic police officer made rounds on social media, raising concerns amongst many of his fans and well-wishers who implored him to sober up.
However, the tendency to be reckless and destructive is not purview to just this artiste as household names such as Jose Chameleone, Bebe Cool and Eddy Kenzo all continue to harangue us with their own weaknesses for the dramatic enterprise.
Indeed, Uganda’s entertainment industry is never short of drama as the artistes constantly bid to outdo each other in recycled, frivolous and petty media wars which occasionally turn physical.
Social media recently witnessed a strong verbal outcry from spited artistes such as Kenzo, Radio and Weasel after a one Moses Ssali aka Bebe Cool released a list of names he deemed the most influential within Uganda’s music industry according to rank. This led to a bitter exchange of words between Bebe Cool and some artistes who dubbed the ‘Kasepiki’ star as childish and arrogant. They even challenged him to present his studio as proof of his dedication and passion for his music as an artist.
Anyhow, with many of these musicians claiming to be Uganda’s greatest export since Philly Bongole-Lutaaya, lines are bound to be crossed and offenses taken, bringing most local artistes such as Jose Chameleon and Bebe Cool to loggerheads in one of the most enduring entertainment feuds to determine ‘who might actually be the most prominent/influential in shaping and promoting Uganda’s Music and entertainment Industry.’
That said, as the Industry grows, so does the controversy that surrounds it as in the past, Ugandans have suffered a number of bizarre, vulgar and grotesque misdemeanors at the mercy of some of their favorite artistes as musicians, particularly the female ones such as Desire Luzinda and Sheebah Karungi.
These two among others, continue to release inappropriate visuals such as nudes, which in turn promote various forms of socially unacceptable issues like promiscuity and use of recreational drugs, especially amongst the youths.
Despite efforts by the government and concerned parties to prohibit the promotion of such lewd and inappropriate behavior by putting in place certain measures, particularly the Anti-pornography Act, the entertainment industry is still riddled with dark and underlying proponents that not only affect the masses but even worse, destroy and claim the lives of so many artistes.
This begs the question: “Is there still hope for the entertainment industry in Uganda? And what does this mean for young artistes in Uganda?”
The group members pose for a photo
So, as the government grapples with the quagmire that is Uganda’s entertainment industry, a select number of youths have decided to take matters into their own hands by offering Ugandans an alternative source of entertainment.
In that respect Eagleonline caught up with the artistes of the Arts4harts initiative to better understand their unique approach to this industry. Derrick Muhanguzi(Co-founder & Lead Act), Pius Andru’da, Migisha Boyd, Roland Aruho and Bijojji Elijah, all representative of the different specialties they brought to the table, explain in an interview reproduced below.
EagleOnline: What is Arts4Harts and what do you guys do?
Derrick: Arts4Harts is an organization or faculty that has been running for a year now and hopes to embody music and art by providing a platform that brings about the creativity of the arts as it was intended to be.
EagleOnline: And how is art originally intended to be?
Derrick: God is the creator of all things on earth and therefore all that we do must in most ways mirror his image. Therefore, arts and music must be a depiction of his goodness as well. By mirroring God through our work we are able to also affect the culture around us.
Boyd: We are giving the world what they are generally not accustomed to but it is good to be different/unique: it is how you standout.
EagleOnline: So how did you guys come up with the Arts4Harts idea?
Derrick: It happened randomly actually, I was having a chat with Boyd about all the negativity that has infiltrated most of the mainstream media, be it the art/pictures or even the music and how people have failed to perceive it and the danger it poses. Infact, the first time I met Boyd he was a bit dejected and he told me “I have one last card to play, if I fail-I am off to Miami to start strip-dancing.” I guess the fact that he is here means that it went through.
EagleOnline: Why would you even consider strip-dancing yet you are already talented as an artist?
Boyd: As an artist, to find a place readily accepting of your own unique style and brand is very hard. Especially with us artists since people rarely value your work and expect you to even do things for free. So you find that it is twice as hard for an artist to make it in society, more so here in Uganda.
EagleOnline: Why Art?
Boyd: Because Art puts us in a position in which we can understand life; life is art itself, it exists in every form and aspect of life: from food being cooked to the way someone decided to dress or behave. So, if the art is corrupted or dirty, then the surroundings to will be dirty, for example you can take life as a prism, if it is dirty the light it will project will also be dull. That is why we have charged ourselves with the task of cleaning this prism because for us God is art.
Ronald: We have talent that pushes people to think deeply about their lives and its decisions, it is sort of reflective. People tend to overlook the extents to which art can go but the brain is usually accessed through intellect and art is always able to touch someone emotionally even if it is a song or just a fine drawing, it can speak volumes to someone! I believe that Art, if used properly, has the ability to shake culture more than logical reasoning.
Pius: Art is able to have a long-term effect on people compared to other forms. Achilles is remembered through his art even after he died a long time ago. Even culture is learnt through art and if you consider the Egyptians and their hieroglyphics, art can be used to create, teach and preserve culture.
EagleOnline: What are some of the challenges you guys have faced embarking on this journey?
Derrick: I think the biggest and most obvious battle we face comes from within; tapping into our full potentials has become quite hard due to skepticism amongst us given the Ugandan market and how they will receive us. We tend to doubt ourselves based on past experiences and often have to remind ourselves of: who we are, where we are going and what we are doing. However, I have learnt that if you look at something spiritually and tackle it in the same manner, it will eventually come together. We believe we are a new living, fresh and talented group working in an already dead industry.
Ronald: Yes, we occasionally fight and disagree amongst each other but we are more than sure that we can accomplish all through God. Christian art is not generally a big thing in entertainment but while most people choose to look to other sources for power like calling witchdoctors before a big concert, we as Christians need to properly organize ourselves because despite us being the lowest ranking in this industry, we have the most power, look at the recent Power FM celebrations that hosted almost 30,000 attendees to celebrate Christian music. We have the ideas, we have to just study them, we are a body and we need to fully understand the different functions each one of us plays. For example the eyes are different from the mouth but if I lose an eye the whole body will be affected in terms of sight and judgment; we need to learn how to really work together.
EagleOnline: Derrick, recently you realesed a video where you talked about the lack of authenticity in today’s media, more specifically, the music industry! Can you elaborate abit more on that!
Derrick: When I first started out in the music industry I was met with a lot of resistance, and today I’m still facing resistance! Why? Because I’m bringing something different to the table: I am actually being creative when I speak and you will realize that a lot of people today cannot handle that!
People are so used and comfortable with mediocre state of the industry: artist don’t create content but simply copy from other artists! So when you bring something new to the table they begin to worry and fear that you have come to change things.
When we decide to do something we don’t just do it and say it is ‘just a song’ or ‘just a poem or play’, we want to carry meaning and touch someone. Another thing you need to know is that times are changing and therefore people are also looking for something different. The other day Makerere released 13,000 graduands, where is the government going to put all those people, where shall the jobs come from? It is why we also decided to come up with Arts4Harts, we want to give people an opportunity to discover themselves and God’s purposes for their life. We cannot just sit down and let the kids suffer, we must take matter into our own hands and use what God has given us.
Pius: One thing we don’t want is for the market to influence us but make decisions based on how God leads us; we want the market to understand us and consume us as we are. One thing I appreciate about President Donald Trump is that, because of his decisions and remarks artists are now producing music with a conscience like the recent Eminem album, and that is how I believe it should be: you shouldn’t buy your goods because they look good but because it adds value to you. In Uganda only Christians don’t have standards; you listen to a poem and wonder if the artist can read or write, and that is why we want to raise a standard for everything we do here at Arts4harts.
EagleOnline: Thank you so much for your time guys! Last question is: What are your future plans for Arts4Harts? Where do you see yourselves in a few years’ time?
Derrick: Our work is primarily targeted at the Ugandan youths since it is easier to teach the younger generation than it is the older ones. Their views are far different from ours in some aspects especially in terms of the arts, in that it is hard for them to unlearn what they know to be true and accept these new forms and concepts of our generation (laughs).
Boyd: We are also actually planning for an event for early March; we want to officially launch this initiative and get more people involved by putting the word out there, by taking the creativity back to the people, back to schools and promoting talent in these places so people can own it.
Elijah: We hope to take it worldwide eventually but we want to start by also tapping into the talent outside of Kampala, going to the villages and giving these kids an opportunity to express themselves and cultivate their talents. We are also looking to put up a website and connecting with the world out there as much as possible.
