A simmering rift has emerged within the Uganda National Musicians Federation (UNMF) after singer Pius Mayanja, popularly known as Pallaso, declared his allegiance to the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP), led by Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, alias Bobi Wine.
Pallaso, who serves as Vice President of the Federation, announced his political stance last week and has since joined NUP’s campaign trail as one of the headline performers. His decision, however, has sparked tension within the Federation, which operates with funding from the Government of Uganda.
Federation President Eddy Kenzo has since come out publicly to clarify that Pallaso’s new political affiliation automatically bars him from accessing Federation funds, which he said are sourced directly from the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) government.
“I support Museveni, but my vice president (Pallaso) supports NUP, and he is out there doing campaigns. Yet we are all leaders of the federation. I cannot sing at a NUP campaign because I do not support it,” Kenzo said in a recent interview.
“At this point, they should know that the ruling party is NRM. They gave us this money, and we cannot give it to their enemies.”
Kenzo further argued that the Federation’s support for the government stems from gratitude for the financial support it has received. He explained that the organization’s partnership with the state was based on formal proposals presented to the ruling government to fund programs aimed at empowering musicians.
“If another party comes into power and supports us, we shall also appreciate them. This is an organization managing musicians in the country, and the government that has the mandate to empower Ugandans right now is NRM,” Kenzo said.
The development has reignited debate about the independence and neutrality of the Uganda National Musicians Federation — a body formed to foster collaboration, advocacy, and unity among artists regardless of their political or artistic backgrounds.
Critics have argued that restricting members’ access to funds based on political alignment undermines the Federation’s inclusivity, while others view Kenzo’s stance as a pragmatic acknowledgment of the source of the organization’s funding.
For now, Pallaso remains both Vice President of the Federation and an active NUP supporter — a position that places him at the center of a widening conversation about the intersection of art, politics, and state influence in Uganda’s creative industry.
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