Spice Diana Reveals Why She Left UNMF

Ugandan singer Spice Diana has explained why she missed the March 17 Parliament sitting where lawmakers passed the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2025.

Spice Diana revealed that she is no longer part of the Uganda National Musicians Federation (UNMF), the body that led efforts for the bill under the leadership of Eddy Kenzo.

As a result, she believes leaving the federation is why she did not get an invitation to attend the sitting.

Speaking further, she said she walked away early on because she did not agree with how the federation operated.

I left the federation a long time ago. I think it was when it was just starting. It is just that I did not agree with what was there. You go with something else and also find something else there. There were also secret discussions that you would never get to know about. It also required you to be there physically a lot, yet you do not have the time.

Despite her absence, Spice Diana welcomed the efforts of those pushing for the amendments, though she questioned how effective the changes will be in practice.

If there are people who are fighting for it, well and good. I hope the amendments will be put into practice because “copyright” is just a word, but what happens in practice? Are we really going to benefit, and how? And how will the government benefit from us, and when it does, what in turn has it done for us? Generally, structures, not just handouts.

The Copyright and Neighbouring Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2025, now awaits presidential assent before it becomes law.

It’s not right to put down people’s art because they invest a lot of time and effort in it. It’s better to appreciate it, as every artist has a different fan base and the impact of a hit song varies. – Spice Diana#SanyukaUpdates #SanyukaUnCut pic.twitter.com/l4YmctuaQy

— Sanyuka TV (@sanyukatv) April 8, 2026