Sheilah Gashumba Reacts To Calls For Ugandan Artistes To Stop Flying Economy
Sheilah Gashumba has joined the growing online debate about Ugandan artistes flying economy class for international performances.
The media personality and socialite reacted after social media users spent days arguing over whether local musicians should start demanding business class flights, luxury hotels, and better treatment from promoters abroad.
While some users insisted artistes need to raise their standards internationally, Sheilah appeared to lean more toward the financial realities behind many diaspora shows.
Reacting to the conversation on X, she pointed out that some business class tickets can actually cost more than what certain artistes earn from the performance itself.
The business class ticket price could be more than their performance rate so it deffo wouldnt make any sense!
The wider debate started after an X user, @BlackMambaso, criticized Ugandan artistes for flying economy class while traveling abroad for performances and praised Eddy Kenzo for reportedly setting stricter travel standards years ago.
4 of our big artists left for London to perform earlier today and they took a video sitting in economy.
I think our artists need to start negotiating beyond just boarding a plane and start putting up conditions that will push the industry from one step to another, better… pic.twitter.com/IJWK06Nmnf
— BLACK MAMBA 📸 (@BlackMambaso) May 22, 2026
Douglas Lwanga later added his voice to the discussion, questioning whether many promoters can realistically afford business class tickets, five star hotels, and large artiste teams for diaspora events that attract relatively small crowds.
You raise some important points. The Elephant in the room is: why should Ugandan artists travel economy, avoid 5 star hotels, or not receive luxury treatment when traveling abroad to perform?
Before asking a promoter to pay an artist USD 10,000, provide business-class tickets,… https://t.co/ZzilhpHuCy
— Douglas Lwanga (@DouglasLwangaUg) May 23, 2026
Since then, social media users have continued arguing over whether Ugandan artistes should focus on luxury treatment abroad or first grow the business side of the industry.
