Jose Chameleone on stage. PHOTOS BY ANDREW KAGGWA
Police have finally granted permission to musician and Democratic Party national chief mobiliser Joseph Mayanja aka Jose Chameleon to sing at his music shows which had been cancelled in July in Masaka Sub Region.
Chameleon was scheduled to stage three concerts in Mutukula and Kalisizo both in Kyotera District and another in Bukomansimbi District in July.
The cancellation of the shows came just a week after the Afro-beat singer joined DP and declared his intention to contest for the Kampala Lord mayoral race in the 2021 General Election.
The singer seeks to unseat Mr Erias Lukwago, who was elected as an Independent candidate in 2016.
Police later explained that they had no intentions of blocking the singer’s music shows as a person, but instead wanted the organizers to follow the set guidelines.
Mr Paul Kangave, the Masaka Regional Police spokesperson said on Monday that Chameleon is now free to sing during the shows as they had been planned before since his managers have fulfilled the requirements.
“Chameleon and his managers had not followed the set guidelines like telling us about the agreement they have with the organisers and the number of people expected at their shows. Since everything has been fulfilled, he’s free to sing now,” Mr Kangave said when contacted.
Mr Kangave reiterated that organisers of music concerts have to seek clearance from police headquarters in Naguru and the District Police Commanders (DPCs) to ensure that planned venues are secure.
But Mr Robert Nkuke alias Mutima, one of Chameleon’s managers, said the whole process of seeking approval of shows from Naguru is cumbersome, requesting the police authority to empower DPCs to do the approval.
“We have filled what they [police] want, but we request that DPCs be authorized to handle these small issues,” he said.
