Ugandan R&B singer Aziz Azion has thrown his support behind veteran musician Mesach Semakula, saying he deserves to lead the country’s artists as their president.
Aziz, whose real name is Aziz Mukisa, made the remarks during a press conference ahead of Semakula’s concert celebrating 50 years in the music industry. He was among the musicians who attended the event to show support for the celebrated singer.
During his address, Aziz praised Semakula’s character and ability to bring people together, arguing that those qualities make him a suitable figure to lead Uganda’s music fraternity.
“They keep referring to other people as artists presidents but I want Semakula as my president because he has all the qualities a president should have. He deserves to lead artists because he brings everyone together,” Aziz said.
His comments were also backed by fellow singer Ykee Benda, who took the podium and described Semakula as a natural leader whose influence does not depend on holding an official title.
Ykee praised the veteran musician for showing love to fellow artists and Ugandans, adding that his ability to unite people was evidence of the leadership qualities Aziz had highlighted.
“As Aziz mentioned, he is the type of leader who doesn’t need a title. His leadership comes from God. I thank him for loving his fellow artists and Ugandans. Everything you see here and the love you will see on 13th, is what you are. We love you,” Ykee said.
The public endorsement places renewed attention on the question of leadership and unity within Uganda’s music industry, with both singers pointing to Semakula’s relationships with fellow musicians as a major part of his influence.
Semakula is preparing to celebrate five decades in music with a concert that has drawn support from several figures in the entertainment industry. The event is expected to recognise his long career and contribution to Uganda’s music scene.
While Aziz’s remarks were an expression of personal support rather than an announcement of a formal artists’ leadership election, Ykee’s endorsement reinforced the appreciation being shown to Semakula by his fellow musicians.
For the two singers, the message was clear: they see Semakula as someone whose ability to bring artists together makes him worthy of greater leadership recognition.