Ugandan singer Catherine Kusasira has revealed how her involvement in politics affected her music career and business ventures, claiming that political divisions among clients cost her lucrative performance bookings and contributed to the collapse of her beauty products business.
The singer says there was a time when she could earn between Shs16 million and Shs20 million every weekend through musical performances at different functions. However, she claims those opportunities significantly declined after some clients began making booking decisions based on the political affiliations of the artists they supported.
“Personally, politics affected me in a way that back then, every weekend I would make a sum of between Shs16 million and Shs20 million through performances at functions, which is no longer the case now. It’s all because the clients became politically motivated and were influenced by the parties we support,” Kusasira explained.
According to the singer, the consequences extended beyond the entertainment industry. Her business investments also suffered as political divisions reportedly influenced customers’ willingness to purchase her products.
Kusasira recalled establishing a beauty products business that included Vaseline products. She said the venture initially attracted considerable customer interest, encouraging her to invest heavily in its operations.
However, she claims the business eventually began struggling because some customers stopped purchasing her products due to her political associations.
The financial consequences were significant, with Kusasira revealing that some of her stock expired before it could be sold.
She also disclosed that she had invested in four vehicles to support the business before eventually deciding to shut it down.
“I had injected a lot of money into the business, put in four vehicles, and then I found my products getting expired. It affected me so much, and I closed the business,” she said.
For Kusasira, the experience illustrates how political divisions can extend into professional and commercial relationships, particularly for entertainers whose work depends on attracting audiences and clients from different backgrounds.
Interestingly, the singer insists that she does not consider herself a politician. Instead, she describes herself primarily as an entertainer who should be able to work with people regardless of their political affiliations.
She maintained that she is willing to perform for supporters of different political parties, including the National Unity Platform (NUP), Democratic Front (DF), People’s Front for Freedom (PFF), Democratic Party (DP) and National Resistance Movement (NRM), whenever opportunities arise.
Kusasira also expressed reservations about politics, saying she does not understand the subject deeply and believes politicians are often dishonest. She added that she would rather speak her mind than pretend to be something she is not.
Her latest revelations offer a glimpse into the financial challenges she says followed her political involvement, from losing lucrative weekend bookings to shutting down a business in which she had invested substantial resources.
For an entertainer whose livelihood depends on both performances and commercial ventures, Kusasira’s account highlights the financial risks she believes came with allowing political affiliations to become part of her public identity.