The Junior Minister for Youth, also an events promoter and marketer, Hon. Balaam Barugahara, has sided with Eddy Kenzo and other local artists regarding the coffee marathon concert proceedings.
In a video making rounds online, Balaam is seen castigating the organizers of the coffee marathon over wasteful expenditure and undermining local artistes.
"We should stop undermining our artistes. Bringing a foreign artiste, hiring for him a private jet, and giving him 750 million [Ugandan Shillings] is unacceptable. Chartering a helicopter for him to and from Ntungamo for a sound check, then hiring another helicopter for him to and from Ntungamo after the performance, is excessive," he explained.
Balaam explained the event organizers ought to be cautious next time and cautioned them against wasting taxpayers' money by putting it into the luxurious lifestyle of a single person.
"So, it's really bad for our country, and we need to respect taxpayers' money, because that factory is operating with money from the government to improve value on coffee," he added.
Balaam also asked the factory owner, Nelson Tugume, to apologize to Ugandans over the wasteful expenditure and undermining of local artistes.
"I hope the owner of the company apologizes to Ugandans over such expenditure," he noted.
Balaam's comments come at a time when different artistes, including Eddy Kenzo, have called out the coffee marathon organizers for undervaluing Ugandan artistes for the sake of a foreigner, Diamond Platnumz.
