The Speaker of Parliament has pledged to pass the Copyright Amendment Bill within three weeks following a lighthearted yet significant request from Ugandan music icon Eddy Kenzo.
During a visit to the Speaker’s residence, Kenzo—who was accompanied by Senegalese football legend El Hadji Diouf—was asked to perform his hit song Sitya Loss. The artist playfully responded that he would only perform if the Speaker ensured the long-awaited bill’s passage within three weeks. The Speaker, in good spirits, agreed, saying, “I am going to do it very soon, as long as you sing Sitya Loss for me.”
Kenzo’s involvement in the push for copyright reform is not new, as he leads the Uganda National Musicians Federation (UNMF), which has been advocating for better protections for artists.