Events entrepreneur and political fixer Balaam Barugahare has advised Ugandan entertainers to use their current troubles after Coronavirus struck the country, to always endeavor to set up side income generating activities.
Balaam made the remarks while appearing on Spark TV’s gossip program – Live Wire while responding to deafening pleas by a number of comedians seeking assistance from President Museveni.
Comedians say, the lockdown announced to reverse the Covid19 spread, has brought their only source of income to its knees.
Throughout the last two weeks of the lockdown, a number of comedians including MC Kapale, Taata Sam, the Mighty family duo, Kabaata among others have recorded video messages appealing to the Museveni fixer to ask the president to come to their rescue.
“Please Mr President, I am requesting that you help me with a bag of posho and 50 kgs of beans so that I can be able to feed my family and myself since i am not working. Mama Nalweyiso, Balam, help us also as comedians, ” pleaded comedian Kabaata.
Balaam, in response said he had delivered their message to the president but he wasn’t sure of a timely response since the president is preoccupied with the issues of Coronavirus.
“I want to assure them that their message has been delivered to the president but you know he also needs to be excused as he has been to busy of late,” Balaam said before asking the group to try out agriculture which would give them ready food in situations like this one and save them from starvation.
“I met Madrat and Chico starving the other day I went to see them and felt touched after learning that one kilogram of beans is all they had to feed around 10 people yet if they had a garden, they wouldn’t be starving under any circumstances,” he explained.
Balaam further committed himself to contact the relevant ministries to get some land where entertainers would be given portions of arable plots to engage in food and animal production with an aim of ensuring financial sustainability.
He promised to send them supper for two days each as they look for a sustainable solution that can help them out of the current predicament.
Do you have a story in your community or an opinion to share with us: Email us at editorial@watchdoguganda.com