Ugandan singer Weasel Manizo has sparked fresh debate in the music industry after revealing that he received Shs285,498 in royalties from the Uganda Performing Right Society (UPRS).
The Goodlyfe star shared a screenshot of the mobile money payment on social media and sarcastically captioned it, “UPRS best cheque ever,” a comment that appeared to show his disappointment with the amount.
The payment came shortly after UPRS announced that it had distributed Shs200 million to registered rights holders, including musicians and other creators.
The payout has since opened up discussions among Ugandan artists and fans about how royalties are calculated, how music usage is tracked, and whether creators are receiving fair returns from their work.
UPRS Chairman Martin Nkoyoyo later explained why Weasel’s payment was Shs285,000, saying royalty amounts are not based on an artist’s popularity or fame but on several factors.
According to Nkoyoyo, the payments depend on recorded music usage, the number of logged plays, whether an artist’s songs are properly registered in the UPRS system, and ownership arrangements attached to different songs.
He explained that Weasel’s payment reflects the available data collected and processed by the organisation during its royalty distribution process.
The discussion also touched on challenges affecting Uganda’s music industry, including proper catalogue registration, accurate tracking of music plays, licensing fees, and transparency in royalty collection.
Music stakeholders have continued to call for stronger copyright enforcement and better systems to ensure artists earn sustainable income from their creative works.
The debate around Weasel’s royalty cheque has once again placed Uganda’s music rights management system under the spotlight.
