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A California jury has ordered comedian Bill Cosby to pay $59.25 million in damages to a woman who says he drugged and sexually assaulted her in 1972.

The plaintiff, Donna Motsinger, now 84, told the court that Cosby gave her wine and a pill during a visit linked to one of his shows, leaving her unable to respond. She said she later woke up at home and believed he had assaulted her.

Cosby, 88, denies the allegations, and his legal team says they will appeal the ruling.

The case adds to years of accusations that have followed the former The Cosby Show star and affected his career.

A court convicted Cosby in 2018, but another ruling overturned that conviction in 2021 due to a legal technicality, leading to his release.

For years, Uganda’s music industry has lived with a quiet contradiction: songs travel far, but the money rarely finds its way back to the artists who create them.

From taxis weaving through city traffic to packed nightclubs and radio stations across the country, Ugandan music is everywhere. Yet for many musicians, that widespread popularity has not translated into consistent income.

Now, that long-standing imbalance could finally be addressed.

According to Hon Peace Mutuuzo, Minister of State for Gender and Culture, the government is developing a centralized digital system designed to ensure artists are paid for every use of their music, whether it’s on air, in public spaces, or at events.

The proposed platform will allow musicians to upload their songs into a national database, where technology will track how and where each track is played in real time. Whether a hit is blasting through speakers in Kampala or playing in a bar in Arua, its usage will be recorded.

It’s a shift that could redefine how artists earn.

“Artists will earn even while asleep,” Mutuuzo explained during an interview, describing a system that removes the burden of chasing payments and replaces it with automated tracking and compensation.

At the center of the model is a simple idea: if music is being used commercially, it should generate revenue for its creators.

Under the plan, businesses such as media houses, bars, and event venues will be required to pay an annual licensing fee, similar to utilities like electricity or water. The collected revenue will then be distributed to artists based on actual usage data, how often and where their music is played.

If successfully implemented, the system could bring structure to an industry that has long operated informally, where music is widely consumed but rarely accounted for.

The initiative is also expected to receive strong political backing, with Yoweri Kaguta Museveni set to officially launch the platform.

For many artists, the promise goes beyond income. It represents recognition, validation that their work has measurable value.

And for an industry that has spent years asking the same question, “Who is paying for the music?”, this could finally be the beginning of an answer.

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In a room filled with laughter, clinking glasses, and some of Uganda’s most influential creatives, one statement cut through the evening with striking confidence. JKazoora believes he didn’t just contribute to Ugandan Hip Hop, he built its foundation.

Speaking during a dinner hosted by Norbert Mao in Lubowa, Kazoora leaned into a narrative that many in the industry have whispered about, but few have owned so boldly.

“I single-handedly promoted Hip Hop in Uganda,” he declared.

He added that at a time when the sound struggled for acceptance, often overshadowed by more locally rooted genres, Kazoora says he used every platform he had to push it forward.

Through his record label, Buddies Music, he nurtured and amplified a wave of artists who would go on to shape Uganda’s urban sound.

He reels off names not just as a flex, but as receipts: Big Tril, Fille, Mun G, GNL Zamba, the duo Radio and Weasel, all connected, in one way or another, to his ecosystem.

But it is his relationship with GNL Zamba that stands as the centerpiece of his argument.

“I grabbed GNL Zamba, promoted him, brought him to life,” Kazoora said, describing a period when Hip Hop was still finding its voice and its audience in Uganda.

Beyond the studio, Kazoora points to television as another battleground. His show Jam Agenda became, in his telling, a cultural vehicle, one that smuggled Hip Hop into Ugandan homes at a time when the genre was often dismissed as foreign or inaccessible.

“I think on Jam Agenda, I promoted Hip Hop which was never accepted in this country,” he reflected.

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After a period of quiet reflection and creative reset, Isaiah Katumwa is stepping back into the spotlight with a new single, New Days, a release that feels less like a comeback and more like a statement of intent.

There’s a cinematic quality to his return. Much like the slow rise of morning light, New Days unfolds gently but with purpose, signaling the start of a fresh chapter for one of Africa’s most respected jazz voices.

For Katumwa, the song carries weight beyond melody.

“New Days is more than a song; it is a declaration,” he says.

That intention is unmistakable. Built around warm, expressive saxophone lines, the track leans into restraint rather than urgency. It doesn’t try to overwhelm; instead, it breathes, lingers, and draws the listener into its calm, reflective space. The harmonies are rich, the rhythm steady and optimistic, creating a sound that feels both intimate and expansive.

At its heart, the song explores the idea of beginning again, not through grand gestures, but through quiet resolve. It speaks to the internal decision to move forward, to embrace possibility after uncertainty.

That message closely mirrors Katumwa’s own journey. With over three decades in music, he isn’t chasing reinvention for relevance. Instead, he’s refining what has always defined him, a commitment to authentic, instrumental storytelling.

In a music landscape often driven by vocals and commercial trends, Katumwa has remained rooted in his craft, allowing the saxophone to carry emotion where words fall away. His consistency has not only sustained his career but also helped shape Uganda’s jazz culture.

Through platforms like Jazz With Isaiah and various curated festivals, he has built more than a following, he has nurtured a community, connecting artists and audiences through a shared love for the genre.

Now, with New Days, he returns with renewed clarity.

“This release comes from a place of clarity,” he explains.

And that clarity defines the record. It carries hope without ignoring the past, balancing reflection with forward motion. There’s a quiet confidence in its tone, the kind that only comes with time, experience, and a deep understanding of one’s artistic voice.

In many ways, New Days is exactly what its title suggests, not just a new song, but a continuation of a journey, shaped by growth, grounded in purpose, and open to what comes next.

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Jay Z has cleared the air on claims linking him to the Drake and Kendrick Lamar feud.

The rapper and music executive said his decision to pick Kendrick Lamar for the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show had nothing to do with taking sides.

According to him, the choice came down to performance and impact over the past year.

He explained that Kendrick stood out based on his run in music, not any connection to ongoing tensions in the industry.

I chose the guy that was having a monster year, it was bot in some sort of alliance to a battle.

Beyond the selection, Jay Z also raised concerns about the current state of hip hop.

He questioned the value of rap beefs, saying they now create division and shift focus away from the music.

He added that fan behavior has made things worse, with personal attacks often extending to artistes’ families.

Parliament is concerned about the escalating cost of the Busega–Mpigi Expressway with lawmakers questioning how the project’s contract price doubled from the initial Shs547.5 billion to over Shs1.2 trillion.

The Committee on Physical Infrastructure chaired by Hon. Dan Kimosho raised these concerns on Tuesday, 24 March 2026 while meeting officials from the Ministry of Works and Transport led by Gen. Katumba Wamala.

The meeting centred on the planned activities in the Ministerial Policy Statement for financial year 2026/2027.

Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala attributed the cost escalation to changes in the project’s design and scope which he said include revised road alignments and additional infrastructure like interchanges and connecting roads.

Engineer-in-Chief, Stephen Kitonsa said that a technical review team had reassessed the project and arrived at the revised cost.

Kimosho dismissed explanations that the increase was purely technical, arguing that such a sharp jump pointed to deeper issues.
“This is science, not gambling. It is not possible that changes could amount to double the price,” he said adding that, ’there is a smelling rat in the project’.

He added that those responsible for the apparent financial loss had yet to be identified warning that accountability must be established.

The committee also heard that negotiations with the contractor remain incomplete despite Parliament previously approving additional funding to facilitate the project’s completion.
“As we speak now, we have not yet fully contracted the contractor for completion. The negotiations are still ongoing,” Gen. Katumba Wamala said.

He revealed that the contractor had initially lodged claims worth Shs578 billion, citing delays and idle equipment.
Following negotiations, the claims were reduced significantly, with the contractor agreeing to settle for Shs78 billion.

Lawmakers expressed frustration at the prolonged negotiations with Bukanga North Member of Parliament, Hon. Nathan Byanyima questioning the delay.

The 23.7KM expressway is meant to ease traffic along the Kampala–Masaka Highway.
Its construction stalled due to funding challenges before government secured additional financing from the African Development Bank.
Despite construction progress on the ground, MPs warned that continued delays and unexplained cost variations could expose the project to further financial risk.
“You can even have a third renegotiation at this rate if you don’t zero down on someone’s neck,” Kimosho cautioned.

Moroto District Woman Representative, Hon. Stella Atyang also raised concern over what she described as poor negotiation practices, arguing that taxpayers are bearing the cost of penalties and inefficiencies in road projects.

The committee directed the Ministry of Works and Transport to submit the original contract for the Busega–Mpigi Expressway as part of a probe into the project.

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ROME – The Uganda Embassy in Rome has launched a high-visibility tourism campaign across Italy’s major urban centers, deploying a fleet of branded transit vehicles to showcase the Pearl of Africa’s wildlife and landscapes to millions of European travelers.

The initiative features striking imagery of Uganda’s natural wonders displayed on the backs of buses traversing the most iconic corridors of Rome, Milan, Venice and Florence. Ambassador Elizabeth Paula Napeyok said the strategic placement ensures the campaign captures the attention of both domestic Italian audiences and the international tourists currently congregating for the Easter season.

The timing is calculated to leverage the surge of pilgrims and visitors arriving in Rome for the Papal ceremonies at St. Peter’s Square. Ambassador Napeyok noted that the transit ads will circulate past landmarks such as the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, with the campaign projected to reach at least 10 million people across the country.

This outreach marks a significant escalation in Uganda’s economic diplomacy, which tasks foreign missions with the aggressive marketing of the country’s commercial and tourism potential. By targeting Italy, a traditional hub for high-spending European travelers, the government aims to diversify its source markets and bolster visitor arrivals from the continent.

The campaign aligns with the broader Tenfold Growth Strategy, a national economic blueprint designed to expand the Ugandan economy from its current 50 billion dollar valuation to 500 billion dollars by 2040. Tourism remains a primary engine of this growth, with the government prioritizing the sector to drive foreign exchange earnings and private sector investment.

Current economic indicators underscore the sector’s vital role in the national accounts. In 2024, tourism contributed approximately 5.7 percent to the national GDP, generating 4.8 trillion shillings. Beyond direct revenue, the industry remains a critical pillar for job creation, currently supporting over 800,000 positions within the hospitality and transport value chains.

This Italian initiative is the first in a series of planned engagements by the Uganda Mission in Rome to reposition the country as a must-visit destination. It follows a pattern of intensified European outreach, including recent participation in major travel trade fairs in Berlin and the Benelux region, all aimed at securing Uganda’s share of the global travel market.

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