Tyrese Gibson, the Hollywood actor and RnB star best known for the Fast & Furious franchise, has been confirmed as the headline performer for the second edition of the Africa Coffee Marathon, set to take place this October in Ntungamo District.
The event is being organised by Inspire Coffee Group, the company behind the massive Africa Coffee Park, which has increasingly positioned itself as a symbol of Uganda’s ambition to move from exporting raw coffee beans to building a global coffee brand.
But while the announcement was meant to generate excitement ahead of the marathon and the planned 10-day Africa Coffee Festival, it has instead ignited a nationwide conversation about money, branding, and Uganda’s obsession with importing star power.
The marathon will run under the theme: “Empowering the IK Community of Karamoja through Coffee Farming to End Poverty,” linking the event to broader conversations around agriculture, poverty alleviation, and economic transformation.
Social media, however, has been less focused on the theme and more interested in the rumours surrounding Tyrese’s reported appearance fee.
Unconfirmed reports claim the American entertainer could pocket as much as $1 million (approximately Shs3.7 billion) for the performance, a figure that immediately triggered criticism online. Some Ugandans questioned whether such spending makes sense for a coffee-themed event in a country where local creatives and farmers often struggle for investment and visibility.
Others, however, argue that the outrage misses the bigger picture. To supporters of the move, bringing in a globally recognised celebrity is exactly the kind of spectacle needed to force international attention onto Uganda’s coffee ambitions. In their view, coffee is no longer just an agricultural product but is becoming a lifestyle brand, and lifestyle brands thrive on celebrity culture, entertainment, and global visibility.
??? ???? ?????????? ??????? ?????? ???? ? $?? ????????? ??????????? ?? ????? ??????: ?? ?????’?. ??? ? ???????? ????? ????.
? ? The structural flaws of the Inspire Africa model… pic.twitter.com/1fBVQzVph6
— David Soita Masinde. (@davimasinde) May 21, 2026
Nelson Tugume, the head of Inspire Coffee Group, says the vision has consistently blended business, tourism, entertainment, and Pan-African ambition into one ambitious narrative.
And the celebrity ambitions may not stop with Tyrese as Mr Tugume also confirmed on Friday morning that he has invited Tim Weah to attend the event. Weah, who currently plays for the United States national football team, is the son of George Weah, still the only African footballer to ever win the Ballon d’Or.
Tim Weah
Don’t want to miss out on any story? For updates on all Sqoop stories, follow this link on Telegram: https://t.me/Sqoop and Whatsapp: https://whatsapp.com/channel