Naira Ali Calls Out Illegal Music Use, Cites Radio & Weasel Royalty Losses
Naira Ali is raising the alarm over what she calls massive losses Ugandan artists face due to weak copyright enforcement.
The US-based singer took to Facebook with a passionate plea for a proper, working copyright law, pointing to the continued illegal use of music by fallen star Mowzey Radio and his longtime partner Weasel Manizo as a painful example.
According to her, their songs still dominate music mixes across the country, yet the usage often brings in no royalties.
We surely do need a working copyright law, just imagine how much money RADIO and Weasel have lost through the illegal use of their music since the death of radio,There’s a radio and weasel song on almost every Ugandan music mix and selections but done illegally.
Her comments come at a time when efforts are underway to fix how music rights are handled in Uganda.
In early 2025, government rolled out a Copyright Management System to monitor music use and improve royalty payments to artistes.
The platform was developed by State House scientists together with members of the creative industry.
Its goal is to make copyright enforcement stronger under the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act.
