By BigEyeUg Team
Over the weekend, more than 70 members of Uganda’s creative industry were turned away from Gulu City after they arrived unannounced in an attempt to meet Gen Caleb Akwandanaho, popularly known as Gen Salim Saleh.
The group, which included artistes, promoters, and other creatives, reportedly camped outside the General’s residence in Bardege-Layibi Division, near Gulu Airfield, from Friday through Saturday. Their unannounced presence disrupted traffic to the airfield and caused concern within the surrounding community.
At the center of their visit was a long-standing demand for a reported Shs 5 billion that Gen Saleh allegedly pledged to the creative industry several years ago. The artistes also expressed frustration with presidential advisers responsible for their welfare, claiming they had been abandoned and failed.
While the group did manage to hold a brief discussion with Col James Nkojo, Gen Saleh’s military assistant, they were advised to formally present their grievances through the current Presidential Adviser on Creatives, singer Eddy Kenzo.
The group, however, insisted that their concerns had repeatedly fallen on deaf ears, prompting them to take matters into their own hands.
In response to the disruption, Gen Saleh has reportedly imposed a total ban on artistes, promoters, and other members of the creative industry from accessing his residence in Gulu without clearance. The move has sparked debate within the entertainment sector, with some calling for dialogue and transparency in addressing the creatives’ concerns.