The mood among Uganda’s creatives has been one of cautious celebration following the passing of the Copyright and Neighboring Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2025 but for Eddy Kenzo, the moment carries something deeper than legislative success.
Speaking during an interview shortly after Parliament passed the long-awaited law, the award-winning singer explained that the fight for copyright reform was never just about money.
For him and many other musicians, it was about ensuring their life’s work finally carries real value.
Kenzo revealed that the struggle had weighed heavily on artists who for years watched their music generate revenue for others while they themselves earned little to nothing.
“I have done my part,” he said with conviction. “I am a musician, and the reason I came here was because of the problems we had as an industry. That our music did not have any value.”
The Sitya Loss hitmaker described a harsh reality that many performers quietly fear: the day when the spotlight fades and the stage lights dim.
For Kenzo, that future was a powerful motivator in pushing artists to step beyond their comfort zones and demand change.
“I can’t be in a profession where at the end of the day, when I grow old, my children will see me as a joker,” he said. “Today you are energetic; you can jump on stage, you can perform, but reality will come tomorrow when you can’t even jump anymore.”
The new copyright law is expected to change that by strengthening protections around intellectual property and improving how royalties are collected and distributed, particularly from broadcasters and businesses that profit from playing music.
Kenzo emphasized that the push for reform required courage from artists who chose to confront a broken system rather than simply accept it.
“That is why we decided to get out of our comfort zone,” he explained.
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