KAMPALA – Social media has been awash with many people on social media calling for the boycott of the MTV MAMA Awards which slated to happen on the 20th February 2021 and will air in 180 countries across the globe.
The MAMA Kampala event will celebrate African talent across 20 award categories, including best male, best female, best song, and best collaboration.
Reknwon US rapper DJ Khalid is expected to host the magnificent awards where various musicians across the African continent are nominated and some shall be in Uganda.
Quoting the ViacomCBS network “The Grammy Award-winning DJ and record executive will host the virtual awards ceremony from his glamorous home in Miami, Florida, alongside African co-emcees”.
The Government of Uganda through the Ministry of Tourism has earmaked these awards as one of the avenues through which the Uganda’s Tourism sector can be marketed and advertised across the globe. Liliy Arajova the CEO Uganda Tourism Board noted in November that Uganda shall be able to showcase to the World what makes Uganda the Pearl of Africa with its Unique features such as River Nile and others.
It is true that Uganda boasts of the most uniques futures such as snow capped Mountain Rwenzori, River Nile, Gorillas in Mgahinga National park but the recent chaos brought by the just concluded elections especially the 17th and 18th November riots which have been followed by mass disappearances of the people especially supporters of the opposition.
Many Ugandans on social media have come to demand for the accountability and justice from their leaders for the many people who have since November been arrested and have never been in court.
These demand for justice from angry social media fans prompted DJ Khalid to delete tweet announcing hosting the MTV Africa Music Awards Kampala 2021 (MAMA) in Kampala after several twitter users allegedly stormed the post with images and messages showing the political injustice in Uganda.
Ugandans especially the youth come to say that these awards are coming at a wong time where many Ugandans have allegedly been killed by the state, others kidnapped , abducted and have since disappeared.
Since the Government has invested in alot of money to host these MTV MAMA AWARDS, it presents a good opportunity for advocay to demand for justic and accountability which that Uganda police and its sister agencies have since failed to give.
It is also not true that Ugandans are fighting MTV MAMA AWARDS but what Ugandans need is o see justice prevail, is to see Government agencies providing accountability for the many Ugandans that a missing and others that have since died.
All that Ugandans want is to see Government through its agencies owning up the disappearences, killing of the innocent Ugandans or have them presented in court.
The writer, Brighten Abaho is a Lawyer and Advocacy and Communications personnel at Youth Line Forum