Gulu | The West Nile, Acholi, Lango, and Karamoja (WALK) Creative Arts Foundation, northern Uganda’s first of its kind, will receive shs2.1 billion from the Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Development in the fiscal year 2024-2025.
This funding will help to establish a data registry for northern Uganda’s creative arts sector.
The WALK Creative Arts Foundation seeks to increase employment opportunities in the region’s underdeveloped creative industry. It also aims to promote the region’s cultural heritage through various arts and established art hubs, modern studios, theaters, and music centers, as well as developing assessments and strategies to promote creatives.
The promotion will take place both locally and internationally, as part of the industry’s socioeconomic transformation.
Aboda Solomon, also known as Badman Solo, the interim chairperson of WALK Creative Arts Foundation, revealed that the shs2.1 billion will be used to register all nine creative industry domains.
He also stated that the primary goal of the shs2.1 billion will be to involve all nine creative arts disciplines. These domains are; Music, Performing Arts, Films and Videos, Arts and Crafts, Books and Publicity, Culture and Natural Heritage, Support Services, Media, and Collective Societies.
He emphasized that after completing the data registry, WALK will hold massive training sessions to address the financial illiteracy that is a significant challenge for creatives in northern Uganda. This training will help creatives become more professional in managing their finances.
“These funds will also extend to the agricultural sector, especially focusing on coffee farming through a partnership with Operation Wealth Creation, which has promised to provide 2.5 million coffee seedlings to creatives. This will help diversify incomes and reduce over-reliance on the music industry,” said Aboda.
The Foundation will target four sub-regions of West Nile, Acholi, Lango, and Karamoja. Furthermore, the foundation has appointed representatives for each sub-region with Adewale Bakole (West Nile), Pamela Peace (Acholi), Atine Maros (Lango), and Luku-Tang Alex, aka MC Gray (Karamoja)
Aboda also addressed the issue of inequality in the distribution of funds. He expressed frustration that despite the shs30 billion allocated as post-COVID-19 recovery funds for creatives, none of the funds have reached creatives in northern Uganda.
“The funds have primarily gone to creatives in Kampala. This drove us to form our own association, WALK Foundation, to ensure Northern creatives benefit,” he said.
In the 2024-2025 financial year, Uganda Music Federation, through the Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Development, is set to allocate shs5 billion to boost Uganda’s creative industry.
WALK Foundation is requesting shs2.1 billion for the data registry.
Sylvia Damalie Owori, the Director of Operation Wealth Creation and a principal signatory to the SACCO account for WALK Foundation, said that the funds will help identify and register all creatives in northern Uganda. This will allow for better planning by the government and recognition of their talents.
“We have presented a proposal worth 49 billion UGX to Operation Wealth Creation, but it is up to us, the creatives of the North, to convince the government to release the funds,” she said.
Owori hopes the first phase of the requested shs2.1b will be released this financial year.
She also appealed to stakeholders in northern Uganda to support the initiatives of WALK Foundation, which aims to mobilize and sensitize the creative community about the importance of data registration. Many talented creatives are still in local communities and need to be recognized.
Owori emphasized the importance of embracing commercial agriculture, particularly coffee farming, as a means of supplementing creative incomes.
“The government is willing to support the region, and coffee, being a high-value perennial crop, presents a viable opportunity,” she said.
However, while the WALK Foundation eagerly awaits the shs2.1 billion from the government, some creatives in Acholi sub-region have voiced concerns.
Led by Kilama George William, aka Keddy Face, and Layeng Aggrey Fortune, aka Laxzy Mover, these artists are demanding transparency and inclusion from both the WALK Foundation leadership and Operation Wealth Creation (OWC).
Kilama remains skeptical about WALK Foundation, calling it a “fraudulent initiative” that lacks proper accountability and transparency. He has vowed to meet with Gen. Salim Saleh to seek proper accountability and inclusion of all creatives in northern Uganda.
“We fear the leadership structure of WALK is problematic,” he said. “Why are the OWC directors the principal signatories to the SACCO account? They are supposed to be supporting us, not controlling our finances.”
Layeng Aggrey Fortune, aka Laxzy Mover, raised concerns about the funds collected by WALK from various associations, including shs50,000 from each association member and shs20,000 from individual creatives to facilitate paperwork.
He claims the amount, totaling shs1,050,000 million has not been properly accounted for, suggesting it was used for personal consumption rather than for opening the SACCO bank account.
Laxzy Mover warned that if their demands for transparency are not met, they will seek legal action, claiming that their property and ideas were exploited for personal gain.
According to reports from the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) and the World Bank for the 2018-2019 financial year, the creative arts sector, including arts, culture, creativity, and tourism, contributes approximately USD1.6 billion annually to Uganda’s economy. This sector is expected to generate up to 75 percent of jobs and revenue for the country in the future.
The growth of the creative arts sector in northern Uganda could benefit both the economy and local communities by creating job opportunities and encouraging greater cultural exchange and preservation.