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Benda, in a tweet sent out on Saturday night, May 13, said he was a bit skeptical about joining a new musicians' body following his frustrations with the Uganda Musicians Association (UMA).
Benda, real name Wycliff Tugume served as UMA's vice president, then as president but he would resign from the latter role, citing intrigue.
But he said after meeting the leaders of UNMF, namely, Kenzo, the president, Sheebah Karungi, the first vice president; and Juliana Kanyomozi, the third vice president; they sold him the idea.
"... it’s common knowledge now that I was once president of UMA a body I believed could deliver and heal the pain of musicians both in my generation and before or after but also common knowledge that we had some bad fruits…" reads part of Benda's thread.
"Within and that’s the reason I stepped down because it was abt to ruin my reputation.
So I get a call from the current President UNMF @eddykenzoficial asking me to join in and we meet and talk abt the music industry, I dodged the first meetings because man I had suffered with those things so my heart couldn’t take it anymore…so they recently announced the interim leadership and I got my attention to see Eddy and @Ksheebah1
people I know to be people of integrity and then I saw @JulianaKanyomoz and it really got me reconsidering."
Benda urged all musicians to join the Federation.
He said: "So I called Eddy again and humbly asked to meet them to hear them out which I got an opportunity to do today. I must say this is the team that we probably needed ….artists, we have so much power and the time of handing it over to any user is over, every single time we fight within ourselves the enemy takes all the money . Now the time is up for all of them and many are reading this conversation, my name is Ykee Benda and I am going to fight for everything anyone ever took from me under the leadership of our president @eddykenzoficial and @Ksheebah1 and the rest of the team….
He went on: "Now please before you sit before any camera my fellow artist to attack this movement, ask yourself what new thing are you going to do that will get you your royalties, caller back tune money and copyright? Nothing bruv….let’s come together and take them on one by one …..THEY ARE PANICKING!!"
Kenzo’s team has already met influential leaders in government, including the prime minister, the minister of security, and the leaders of the Uganda Performing Rights Society (UPRS).