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International dancehall and soca star Kevin Lyttle and UK dancehall DJ Robbo Ranx have arrived in Kampala ahead of the Serendipity Summer Splash Street Party scheduled for Sunday, September 13.

The day-to-night event will take place at the Guvnor Streetside industrial area, with the organisers promising an outdoor celebration running from the afternoon into the night.

Lyttle, best known for his global hit Turn Me On, expressed excitement about returning to Kampala, where he is expected to perform for Ugandan and regional fans.

He will be joined by Robbo Ranx, the UK-based reggae and dancehall DJ and three-time Sony Radio Award winner, who is expected to bring a mix of dancehall and reggae to the event.

The party is scheduled to begin at 3pm, with the programme expected to run through the evening.

The international guests will be supported by a line-up of Ugandan DJs and performers, including Selector Jay, Slick Stuart, DJ Roja, DJ Jose, DJ Lito, Etania, DJ Vee and Mysterious 2.

Performers on the line-up include Izzy da Business, Evelyne Mic, Morgan Mc and Vianna Indie.

The event comes as Kampala’s outdoor entertainment calendar continues to attract international acts, with organisers positioning the Serendipity Summer Splash as a blend of Caribbean and Ugandan music and nightlife culture.

Tickets are available through Quicket Uganda, while organisers have advised revelers interested in tables and further information to use the official event contacts.

Music icon ‘Sir/ Papa’ Mesach Semakula is set to celebrate five decades of life with a highly anticipated concert dubbed Mesach Semakula Live in 50 Years of Greatness, scheduled for November 13, 2026, at Kingdom Kampala.

The 50 Years of Greatness concert was announced last evening at the I&M Bank atrium, at the bank’s headquarters at Kingdom Kampala.

The launch was not your usual press conference. Instead, it took the form of a podcast.

The event was adapted as the second episode of I&M Bank’s On Your Side podcast series, and was hosted by the bank’s Executive Director and Chief Operations Officer, Sam Ntulume.

Besides announcing that I&M Bank is the official bank partner for the upcoming concert, Ntulume and Semakula took time off to reflect on the singer’s long musical journey.

Semakula was full of gratitude. He mentioned and thanked some of the key people in the arts sector, that have stood by him throughout his career. He mentioned names like Abbey Mukibi, singer Maria Ndagire, the late multi talented actor and politician- Kato Lubwama, and many others, who he said have contributed to his growth and success.

He also spoke warmly about the role his family has played in his journey, describing their support as an important part of the foundation on which his career has pivoted over the years.

Semakula also noted that, over the years, he has been able to mentor many people and helped nurture talents.

For Ntulume, Semakula’s 50-year milestone carries a special significance for I&M Bank, which also celebrated five decades of service- not so long ago.

“We understand what milestones mean. They represent years of resilience, growth, consistency and the ability to remain relevant through changing times,” Ntulume said.

Meanwhile, Semakula, on the other hand, promised fans an unforgettable experience, urging them to come prepared to enjoy authentic, original music.

“The concert is important to me because of the passion I have for music and my fans. I have prepared myself to perform for the people who have supported me throughout the years, but lost importantly to celebrate the 50 years Hod has give me,” he said.

I&M Bank Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications- Annette Nakiyaga, said that the bank chose to partner with Semakula, to further cement its commitment to supporting Ugandans and their ambitions over the long term.

“Mesach is not just a music legend. He is empathy in human form. For over 30 years, he has sung our heartbreaks and our joys. He has reinvented himself when it was easier to quit.

He has stayed on the side of every Ugandan, in markets, taxis, weddings, in the corporate world and nightlife. His music has been there when life happened. He understands what it means to show up year after year, with consistency and heart. That is exactly what I&M Bank promises to be,” Nakiyaga said.

The Mesach Semakula Live in 50 Years of Greatness Concert is expected to bring together his longtime fans, fellow musicians, friends, family and members of Uganda’s entertainment and local business communities, for an evening of celebration of unique artistry and a remarkable musical journey.

Tickets are already on sale, with ordinary access at Shs 150k, VIP tables at Shs 3m, while premium tables cost Shs 5m.

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For veteran musician Mesach Semakula, turning 50 is not simply another birthday. It is a milestone he once wondered whether he would reach and one that has made him reflect on the musicians whose lives ended before they could celebrate it.

Semakula will mark his golden jubilee with a concert at Kingdom Kampala on November 13, but the celebrations carry a deeper personal meaning for the singer, who says his own battle with diabetes once left him questioning his future.

At 37, Semakula was diagnosed with diabetes. The news frightened him so much that he fell into depression, withdrew from life and spent most of his time sleeping at home.

It was his daughter who eventually forced him to confront the reality of what was happening.

“She told me she was worried about me and was scared because I wasn’t leaving the house. She told me she had stories that Mowzey Radio’s kids are suffering because of his death. That they were not able to attend school and get everything they needed,” Semakula recalled during a press conference at Kingdom Kampala.

The conversation became a turning point.

Semakula realised that giving up was not only putting his own life at risk but could also leave his family facing the same uncertainty he had seen in the lives of other musicians’ families.

He eventually accepted his condition, sought help and changed his approach to life.

“I am now okay. I no longer have diabetes,” he said.

Now, as he approaches 50, Semakula sees the milestone differently. For him, it is also a reminder of how unpredictable life can be, particularly in an industry that has lost several of its celebrated figures at relatively young ages.

He cited musicians including Paul Job Kafeero, Philly Bongole Lutaaya and Herman Basudde, who died before reaching 50.

“The other reason why this calls for a celebration is because we have lost so many great artists who were not able to reach their 50th birthday. The likes of Paul Job Kafeero, Philly Bongole Lutaya, Herman Basuude among others didn’t, so why shouldn’t I celebrate this milestone?” he asked.

Semakula’s attitude towards birthdays was, for years, far removed from the significance he now attaches to his 50th.

Growing up in the village, he viewed birthday celebrations as childish and something largely associated with women. That attitude occasionally caused friction in his marriage, especially when he forgot to wish his wife a happy birthday.

He eventually made himself a promise: if birthdays were not worth celebrating before, he would make an exception when he turned 50.

That time has now come.

For Semakula, the November concert will therefore be more than a night of music. It will mark half a century of life, a career that has endured several generations and, perhaps most importantly, the opportunity to celebrate a milestone that some of his contemporaries never lived to see.

Dr Kizza Besigye allegedly believed removing President Yoweri Museveni would throw Uganda into chaos because, in his view, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba would not be capable of holding the country together, a prosecution witness has told court.

Andrew Wilson, also known as Orlando, made the claim while testifying about an alleged meeting involving Besigye in Nairobi on November 16, 2024.

Wilson told court that the meeting, held at a Riverside apartment, was allegedly part of a wider plan to destabilise Uganda and overthrow the government.

According to the witness, Besigye allegedly argued that President Museveni had the ability to manage the country, but questioned whether his son, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, would be able to do the same.

Wilson said the discussion subsequently turned to removing Museveni, which he interpreted as an alleged plan to assassinate the President.

Wilson told court that Besigye allegedly believed Museveni was capable of running the country but that his son did not have the same capacity.

According to the witness, the argument was that if the President were no longer in power, “everything would collapse”.

“He said uh the president had the capacity to run the country to manage things but his son didn’t. If the president was not there everything would collapse then mentioned about taking him out which is assassinating president.” Orlando told court

Wilson said Besigye also allegedly discussed National Unity Platform leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine.

According to the witness, Besigye allegedly claimed that Kyagulanyi had received funding from the United States and Rwanda during his 2021 presidential campaign.

But despite recognising the seriousness of Kyagulanyi’s supporters, Wilson said Besigye allegedly did not consider Bobi Wine himself serious enough to become President.

“He said the supporters of Bobby Wine were serious, but his leadership group was not,” Wilson testified.

The witness further claimed that Besigye allegedly believed Kyagulanyi’s leadership team had been infiltrated by government personnel.

Wilson also told court that the alleged discussions went beyond political calculations.

He claimed Besigye allegedly discussed using boda boda riders to trigger civil unrest, arguing that the Police would struggle to contain major disturbances and that the army was divided.

The witness further alleged that firearms were already present in the Nairobi apartment when he arrived and that Besigye claimed he had better pistols at home. Wilson also testified that discussions allegedly included cooperation with armed groups in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

He claimed Besigye allegedly discussed securing logistical support, including possible use of airstrips in eastern Congo.

Wilson told court that he had secretly recorded the Nairobi meeting using two listening devices. One was allegedly placed under a table while another was hidden on a flower pot.

A covert camera was reportedly concealed inside a power bank. But the camera allegedly malfunctioned, while the main audio recording was lost when an attempt was made to save it.

The loss of the recording means the witness’s recollection of the meeting is now a significant part of his testimony about what was allegedly discussed.

Wilson further claimed that Besigye allegedly discussed a timetable under which the President would be targeted by early March 2025, the government overthrown by the middle of the year and the entire operation completed by July 2025, ahead of the elections.

The prosecution has presented the Nairobi meeting as a crucial part of the alleged planning that preceded the arrests of Besigye and Obed Lutale.

The defence is expected to challenge Wilson’s credibility and question the circumstances surrounding the alleged recordings and his account of the meeting.

The allegations remain prosecution claims before court and have not been established as facts.

The High Court adjourned to Tuesday next week the treason case involving veteran politician Dr Kizza Besigye, his co-accused Obed Lutale and Capt. Oola.

The defence is expected to cross-examine the prosecution’s key witness, Andrew Wilson, also known as Orlando, when the trial resumes.

Singer Cindy Sanyu has challenged what she describes as an unwritten rule in Uganda’s music industry — the expectation that artistes automatically owe each other lifelong support simply because they have worked together.

Cindy argues that collaborating on a song, performing on the same stage or working together in the studio should not create an obligation for artistes to attend every funeral, celebration or personal event involving their former collaborators.

She says the industry needs to move away from what she calls a culture of entitlement, where people expect support without making a direct request.

“We artists have this culture of you don’t call somebody but just expect them to be there and that thing is wrong and we need to change it. That entitlement is just wrong,” she said during an interview on After 5.

For Cindy, there is a clear difference between professional connections and genuine personal friendships.

She argues that once a professional service has been paid for and completed, it should not automatically create a lifelong personal obligation.

“When I work with a producer and pay them, our relationship is over. I don’t expect them in the future when they have lost someone, I have to go,” she explained.

Cindy, however, says she is not against artistes supporting one another. Her concern is with the assumption that such support should come automatically.

She believes there is a difference between being invited by someone who genuinely wants you around and being expected to appear simply because you once worked together.

“It is different if someone calls and asks you to be there for them,” she said.

The singer’s argument challenges a long-standing culture within Uganda’s entertainment circles, where professional collaborations can sometimes develop into personal networks that are expected to extend beyond the original project.

“There is this thing that just because we did something together, it means I have to show up at everything that happens in their life,” Cindy said.

For her, genuine relationships should be built on mutual connection and communication rather than an unwritten obligation created by a past collaboration.

International dancehall and soca star Kevin Lyttle and renowned UK DJ Robbo Ranx have arrived in Kampala ahead of the highly anticipated Serendipity Summer Splash Street Party.

The all-day and night entertainment event is scheduled for Sunday, 13 September 2026, at the Guvnor Streetside industrial area, bringing together local and international acts for a celebration of Caribbean music and culture.

Lyttle, best known for his global hit Turn Me On, received a warm welcome upon arrival in Uganda and expressed his excitement about returning to Kampala to perform for his East African fans.

He will be joined by DJ Robbo Ranx, a three-time Sony Radio Award winner and one of the UK’s well-known dancehall DJs. Ranx is expected to keep the crowd entertained with a mix of reggae and dancehall sounds throughout the event.

The Serendipity Summer Splash will begin at 3pm, turning the streets around the venue into an open-air festival as the afternoon party transitions into an evening of high-energy entertainment.

The international headliners will share the stage with Ugandan DJs and performers, including Selector Jay, Slick Stuart, DJ Roja, DJ Jose, DJ Lito, Etania, DJ Vee and Mysterious 2. Performances will also come from Izzy da Business, Evelyne Mic, Morgan Mc and Vianna Indie.

Organisers are encouraging revellers to secure their tickets early to avoid long queues at the entrance. Early Bird tickets are available online for Shs70,000, while tickets at the gate will cost Shs150,000. VIP tables are priced at Shs2 million.

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Tooro’s succession battle has erupted before the Kingdom has even buried its fallen King, forcing Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki to plead with rival camps to put down their swords and let Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV rest in peace.

Rwomiire says Tooro is now facing sharply conflicting claims over who should inherit the Crown.

According to the prime minister, one side has already announced a new King, while another is pointing to a Will allegedly left by Oyo in which the late monarch expressed his wishes regarding succession.

But the Tooro Prime Minister says the Crown should not be fought over while the King’s body is still awaiting burial.

“Let us first bury our King,” Rwomiire said in a strongly worded appeal for peace and unity.

He warned that nothing was so urgent that Tooro should sacrifice the dignity of Oyo’s final journey, the grief of the Royal Family and the unity of the Kingdom in a succession contest.

According to Rwomiire, the succession question will have its time.

The Will can be examined, competing claims can be heard, Tooro customs and the law can be considered, and the appropriate cultural and institutional bodies can determine what happens next.

But he says that process should not be decided through competing announcements, confrontation or attempts by either side to create facts on the ground.

Rwomiire has also turned to the Government of Uganda, asking it to help keep peace and order during the tense period.

However, he was quick to draw a line between maintaining peace and choosing Tooro’s next King.

“This is not a request for Government to choose a King for Tooro,” he said.

Instead, he wants government to help create a peaceful environment in which Tooro’s cultural and legal institutions can resolve the dispute without intimidation or disorder.

He also called on elders and cultural leaders to step in and help cool tensions.

“Tooro is bigger than any one of us,” Rwomiire said, warning that the Crown is too important to become “the prize in a contest” staged in the middle of the Kingdom’s mourning.

The Prime Minister’s intervention adds another dramatic turn to the unfolding succession controversy, which has already exposed deep divisions over who has the authority to determine Oyo’s successor.

For now, Rwomiire’s message is simple: bury the King first, settle the Crown later.

He says history will remember not only who eventually takes the Tooro throne, but how the Kingdom behaved while mourning the young monarch.

Nigerian singer Fave’s recent Uganda trip has turned sour after promoter African Simba publicly responded to the singer’s allegations that she was poorly treated during her visit.

Fave, who performed in Uganda days ago, took to social media to accuse the promoter of making her stay unpleasant despite allegedly booking her for far less than her usual worth.

“It’s people like you and that silly promoter that make it hard for people to have nice things to say about Uganda,” she wrote. “Brought me to your country for so much less than I’m worth and still treated me like shit. But I ignored because of my love for Uganda.”

The post prompted a lengthy response from African Simba, who disputed her account and detailed what he said were efforts made to ensure the singer and her team were comfortable throughout their stay.

According to Simba, Fave was welcomed at the airport with two Range Rovers before he moved her from her initially booked apartment to the more expensive Skyz Hotel Naguru.

He said Fave rejected the standard room that had been reserved and was subsequently upgraded to a suite at an additional cost.

Simba also claimed that his team worked closely with Fave on promotional material for the shows, although they occasionally had to remind her to post the content.

The promoter further explained that transportation had been arranged for Fave on her off day after her manager requested a vehicle for the singer’s activities. He said he had to rearrange his driver’s schedule to accommodate the request.

READ: Nigerian artiste Fave slams Ugandan promoter over poor pay and treatment

ALSO READ: Salvado challenges Fave over Uganda criticism, reveals past booking dispute

However, the dispute appears to have gone beyond accommodation and logistics, with Simba raising questions about Fave’s performance.

He claimed the singer performed for less than the contracted 45 minutes, while some fans were left disappointed because they were unfamiliar with some of the songs she performed.

Despite his frustrations, Simba said he deliberately chose not to publicly criticise Fave or reveal information that could damage her reputation.

“I could have exposed a lot. I chose to protect you instead,” he said.

Simba also rejected Fave’s suggestion that she had been underpaid, insisting that the agreed payment had been made before the show.

The promoter then pointed to arrangements involving Kenya, saying he worked to secure another performance after one of the planned shows fell through.

He also claimed that Fave’s team missed a flight, forcing him to initially settle a penalty while awaiting reimbursement.

For Simba, these circumstances make Fave’s description of her treatment difficult to reconcile with the effort and resources he says were invested in her visit.

Still, he acknowledged that the trip was not without its challenges.

“I am not claiming everything was perfect,” Simba said. “But saying I treated you like shit completely ignores the effort, money, time and respect I put into making your stay and these shows work.”

The public exchange has now put the two sides at odds, with Simba maintaining that the contracts, payments and communication between their respective teams would provide a clearer account of what transpired.

The Uganda People’s Defence Forces has denied claims that it withdrew the Tooro Royal Guards from the palace or placed members of the Royal Family under lockdown.

The UPDF says the Royal Guards are still at the palace and have instead been reinforced with additional security personnel to deal with the large crowds and possible security threats during the mourning of the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.

The clarification follows a September 10 statement attributed to Tooro Queen Mother Best Kemigisa, which raised concerns about the security situation at the palace.

The Queen Mother alleged: “Now, three days to my son’s burial, Gen. Kayanja Muhanga came to the Palace and removed the royal guards without notice, and troops were deployed around the Palace. They took the Musuuga away to a location we were not told.”

Kemigisa said the deployment had restricted the family’s movement and ability to receive mourners.

“And now, with the security deployment around the Palace, we cannot leave or receive people freely. We are under house arrest. I appeal to Gen. Kayanja Muhanga, UPDF leadership, and the president to allow our family the freedom and dignity to mourn and bury King Oyo in peace.”

But the UPDF says the situation should not be interpreted as a military takeover or restriction of the Royal Family.

Colonel Chris Magezi, the Acting Director of Defence Public Information, said the UPDF is not involved in the succession processes currently taking place in Tooro Kingdom.

He said the decision to increase security was instead based on the large number of people gathering around the palace, the scale of the ongoing events and the Kingdom’s proximity to security threats from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

As a result, the army says movements around the palace are being closely monitored, with people entering the area subjected to searches and other security checks.

The UPDF says these measures are intended to protect everyone at the palace and surrounding areas and do not amount to a lockdown or house arrest.

The army has also explained the recent visit to the palace by the Commander Land Forces, Lieutenant General Kayanja Muhanga.

According to Magezi, Muhanga went to the palace to pay his last respects to the fallen King and also inspected UPDF engineering works at the Royal Tombs.

The works include roads leading to the burial site and other rehabilitation activities being carried out ahead of the King’s official burial.

The UPDF says Muhanga was satisfied with the progress and is confident the Engineering Brigade will complete the works in time for the burial.

The army has meanwhile assured the Royal Family, mourners and the people of Tooro that it will continue working with other security agencies to maintain calm and protect people during the mourning period.

It also extended condolences to Queen Mother Best Kemigisa, the Royal Family and the people of Uganda and the region following the death of King Oyo.

If you had walked through the halls of the Egypt International Exhibition Center in February 2026 you would have felt it, a quiet but unmistakable shift in the air. Over 350 AI companies and startups from over 30 countries convened for the inaugural regional edition of AI Everything Middle East & Africa Summit alongside investors controlling a combined portfolio of $50 billion. But it wasn’t the presence of IBM, Microsoft or Cisco that made the moment historic. It was the launch of Karnak, Egypt’s first national large language model, trained on tens of millions of Arabic datasets, and built specifically to appreciate the cultural and language subtleties that Western-trained models often overlook. For the first time, the region was not simply adopting technology built elsewhere. It was building its own.

This is the story of the Afro-Arab digital transformation and at its centre stands a generation that refuses to be a footnote. As the Secretary General recently put it, the economic future of our region will not be built solely on oil and traditional commodities, but increasingly on lines of code, digital platforms, and innovation ecosystems designed and driven by its young people. That is not a slogan. It is a demographic reality. The Afro-Arab region is home to one of the world’s youngest and fastest-growing populations, and young people are already among those best positioned to understand emerging technologies and anticipate where the future is heading.

The evidence is everywhere once you know where to look. In Cairo, the startup Nanovate is developing end-to-end Arabic AI solutions. In Tunisia, Morocco, and Jordan, young founders are building deep-tech companies in AI infrastructure, developer tooling, and security, so promising that five MENA startups were selected for an eight-week Silicon Valley residency through Propeller’s Kernel Camp. In Abu Dhabi, a fintech startup called Mal raised $230 million in what is cited as the largest seed funding round in the Middle East and Africa, building an AI-native Islamic digital bank targeting underbanked communities across the Muslim world. These are not isolated stories. Across the Middle East and North Africa, startups raised $172.6 million across 45 deals in July 2026 alone, with artificial intelligence consistently ranking among the top sectors attracting capital.

What makes this moment different from previous waves of technological enthusiasm is that the infrastructure is finally catching up with the ambition. Mobile technologies and services contributed $240 billion to Africa’s economy in 2025, equivalent to 7.8% of GDP, while supporting approximately 13 million jobs. The continent’s digital economy, currently estimated at around $180 billion, is projected to approach $712 billion by 2050. Egypt has launched its largest-ever digital skills programme, aiming to train 10,000 university students in AI, cybersecurity, and cloud computing, with a broader goal of reaching 800,000 people in ICT training by the end of 2026. Morocco plans to train 100,000 young people annually in digital skills and generate 240,000 jobs in the sector by 2030.

But amid all the momentum, an uncomfortable truth remains. Over 500 million Africans have no verifiable digital identity, and more than 80 percent of workers remain in the informal economy. Access to finance continues to be a constraint on entrepreneurship. Rapid technological change requires new skills that traditional institutions are often slow to supply. The digital divide between big cities and rural communities leaves out talented young people who do not have access to connectivity, electricity and devices. And in Egypt, where youth unemployment is 18.7 percent, hiring into AI-exposed professions for 22 to 25 year olds has quietly fallen 14 percent globally since the launch of ChatGPT. The potential is enormous but the risk of a generation brimming with talent being left behind is also.

This is precisely where the Afro-Arab Youth Council’s mandate becomes not just relevant but urgent. We have long insisted that young people must move beyond symbolic participation and become genuine architects of development. That means shifting from viewing youth as passive consumers of digital tools to deliberately placing them at the centre of digital governance and decision-making. It means re-engineering education systems that still prioritise memorisation over hands-on problem-solving in AI, software development, and data analytics. And it means recognising that digitalisation is not simply about purchasing computers or creating websites, it is about redesigning business models, public services, and institutions through technology.

The good news is that the tools for this transformation are increasingly within reach. The UNDP’s new Africa Accelerator for Digital Public Infrastructure, launched in June 2026, is designed to help countries move from fragmented digital initiatives to connected systems that deliver impact at scale. The African Continental Free Trade Area presents an estimated $450 billion opportunity that stronger digital infrastructure can help unlock. And across the region, young entrepreneurs are already building businesses online, developing digital solutions, and accessing global markets regardless of national borders.

But infrastructure and funding alone will not be enough. The Council has consistently argued that empowering young technology leaders requires structural reforms rather than tokenistic youth forums. It requires governments, educational institutions, and the private sector to collaborate around three pillars i.e education that reflects the modern labour market, digital inclusion that reaches rural and marginalised communities, and genuine authority for young people in the rooms where decisions are made.

The story of Karnak is instructive. Named after the ancient temple in Luxor as a symbol of Egypt’s civilization, the model was explicitly designed as foundational infrastructure upon which startups and private companies can build AI applications tailored for local and regional markets. That is the mindset we need,  not just consuming the future, but constructing it. The Afro-Arab youth are ready. The question is whether the institutions that surround them, governments, corporates, and yes, even youth councils like ours will match their ambition with the access, resources, and trust they deserve.

The author works with the Afro-Arab Youth Council (AAYC)

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