National Promoters Association set to streamline music industry

The National Promoters Association has announced that with effect from March 13, all promoters organising events will first acquire a letter of clearance.

The news of the development was announced by veteran musician and music promoter Halima Namakula at the Uganda Police headquarters (Naguru) yesterday.

Ms Namakula, who represented Balaam Barugahara, the secretary general of the association, said the new move is to streamline the Ugandan music industry.

“We have seen so many people complaining that artistes fail to turn up for performances yet they have been paid and, in the process, property worth millions has always been destroyed so we have decided that this is the best way to have the industry organised,” said Ms Namakula.

The clearance letter is aimed at having the industry operating on a professional level and ensuring promoters comply with the new guidelines irrespective of the associations they are affiliated with.

According to the plan, promoters will be registered from their regional offices allover Uganda and those operating in Kampala will be registered from the National Promoters Association Makindye Division office.

The registration is mandatory and the police will only recognise promoters registered by the National Promoters Association because it is the only association that will be working with police on issues of clearing events.

The National Promoters Association Limited is a non-profit organisation and a company limited by guarantee.

The guarantors are members who are music and events promoters operating legally within Uganda with promoter Abbey Musinguzi (Abitex) as the president.