In a storm brewing over Uganda’s movie industry, operators of local movie libraries are crying out for help. The operators, who supply films to the public, are now at the mercy of powerful industry players, including Daniel Kigundu of Kina U, Ronie’s Entertainment, and Billz, who have turned from collaborators to exploiters.
Initially, these giants, along with the Uganda Federation of Movie Industry (UFMI), had called on library operators to get licenses that would allow them to legally sell Ugandan movies. They also banned the duplication of movies, a move that many believed would benefit the industry by curbing piracy and limiting market access.
The library operators complied, seeing it as a way to contribute to the country’s film sector. However, things quickly took a turn for the worse.
Soon, these influential figures set new demands: every library was now required to have Ugandan movies, and failure to comply meant having their machines and stock confiscated, backed by police enforcement. But the situation didn’t stop there.
Now, in a bold and alarming move, Kigundu, Ronie, and Billz have introduced an additional and costly requirement. They are demanding that library operators pay a weekly fee of UGX 25,000 to cover Ugandan movie translators’ fees. That’s UGX 100,000 per month.
To make matters worse, the library operators, who already pay between UGX 10,000 to 15,000 to operate their businesses and sell all types of movies, are only issued receipts for money meant for Ugandan movies. This money is mandatory, regardless of whether the libraries sell Ugandan films or not.
When the library owners requested that this payment be made annually instead of weekly, their pleas were ignored. The Federation, led by Daniel Kigundu, insists on weekly payments. Now, the situation has escalated, with the UFMI issuing a letter threatening to close or confiscate libraries that fail to meet the new payment demands by December 1, 2024.
The letter, seen as a direct attack on the survival of these small businesses, states.
“Re: Request for Enforcement Police Assistance in Inspection and Compliance Exercises”
The letter, sent by Daniel Kigundu, requests the assistance of police from the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) to ensure compliance with their rules, which include not only paying the new fees but also meeting stringent requirements for licensing. The letter makes it clear that, no compliance by December 1st will result in confiscation or closure.
But the situation has grown even more concerning with reports that Ronie’s Entertainment is now secretly collaborating with popular VJ Junior to monopolize the film supply industry. The duo is moving aggressively to become the only supplier of both local and international movies in Uganda, effectively squeezing out smaller library operators.
This unholy alliance has led many to believe that Ronie’s Entertainment and VJ Junior are using their power to control the movie distribution network, further exploiting local movie libraries and restricting access to diverse content.
While the UFMI claims its actions are designed to protect intellectual property and revitalize the Ugandan film industry, many believe that the actions of Kigundu, Ronie, and Billz are becoming increasingly exploitative, leaving the movie library operators in a tight spot with little room for negotiation. The operators argue that these demands are putting them out of business, with little to no support for those who are struggling to meet the financial burden.
“We are being squeezed from all sides,” said one frustrated movie library owner. “We want to support Ugandan films, but we are being crushed under these unreasonable demands. We need the government, the UFMI, and the Registrar General to step in before we are forced to shut down.”
As the clock ticks down to the December deadline, the movie library operators are calling on government agencies and concerned authorities to intervene and prevent this “outrageous” exploitation from continuing. The operators argue that while Uganda’s movie industry deserves protection, it should not come at the expense of the livelihoods of those who support it on the ground.
“A stitch in time saves nine,” they say, hoping that the government will step in before it’s too late.
The fate of Uganda’s movie industry, and the livelihoods of many small business owners, now hangs in the balance. The question remains, will the government heed the call for help?
It’s a very stupid move ,sincerely speaking even the movie they translate do they have the copy right to do so and manipulate the poor.
Its unbearable let them not temper otherwise the movie producers will get losses from people not buying.
First of all what do they offer to the libraries and ugandans are not interested in there work so .those involved in the producing of ugandan movies should work hard in marketing their movies instead of burdening small library owner to sell their movies.so let them fuck themselves
As we struggle with hard drives which wre are too expensive, rent , licenses are very many as well but no body cares only to satisfy their stomach