Music star Bebe Cool has responded to recent comments by Kenyan singer Bien about Uganda's music industry, arguing that international reach should not be the only measure of an industry's success.
Bien had suggested that Uganda's music scene operates on a model where one successful song can sustain an artist through performances across the country. While the remarks were presented as an observation about the Ugandan market, they sparked debate over the industry's ability to expand beyond its borders.
Bebe Cool disagreed with the idea that Ugandan artists need to look outside the country to achieve significant financial success.
"In Uganda, there's still a lot of space and money for artists to make before they even think about leaving the border. They can become billionaires without performing anywhere else," he said.
The singer argued that the strength of a music industry should be assessed by the economic opportunities it creates for artists within their home market rather than solely by international exposure.
"The financial status of artists is determined by the strength of their music in their own country, not necessarily by how far it travels around the world," he added.
Bebe Cool further challenged the suggestion that Kenya's music industry has progressed significantly further than Uganda's, arguing that Kenyan music has also struggled to establish a dominant presence beyond its home market.
His comments add another voice to the ongoing debate sparked by Bien's assessment of the differences between Uganda's and Kenya's music industries.