Popular Ugandan dance group Triplets Ghetto Kids are at the verge of losing their residential home in Makindye, Kampala after the landlord threatened to evict them if they don’t clear his Shs102m balance before the end of December this year.
In 2014 when singer Edirisa Musuuza alias Eddy Kenzo featured the then little known dance group in his Sitya Loss song, it took the whole world by storm.
It then became one of the songs spawning thousands of youthful groups around the world to imitate the dance moves.
Virtually in every country in the world, there have been Sitya Loss dance renditions. Seeing how Kenzo’s song had performed, international artistes like Karim Kharbouch, better known by his stage name as French Montana and Chris Brown were compelled to feature the kids in their videos too.
As they gained fame and some money, Dauda Kavuma, the founder and manager of the kids who are mainly from disadvantaged families decided to buy them a residential house in Makindye, a Kampala suburb in 2018.
He managed to raise Shs 108 million most of which came from French Montana after the kids featured in his famous remix featuring Adam Levine, Unforgettable.
The kids remained with an outstanding balance of Shs102 which they are yet to clear since the landlord asked for Shs210 for the house.
For inspiring his video, French Montana gave the kids $25,000 and promised to send them $100,000 more after his BET awards performance which featured the kids.
However, between last year and now, the kids who now total to 30 have not had big gigs to earn them enough money to clear the balance for their home.
“You know gigs for such kids in Uganda usually come around December during festivities. Since last year, we’ve not been able to raise the balance of Shs102 million. Most of the little money we earn from the small gigs we get goes to feeding, school fees and other bills. However, the landlord has given us up to December this year to clear his balance or get evicted. I feel like my hands are tied since we don’t have any sponsors or another income-generating activity apart from dance,” manager Kavuma told this reporter on phone on Sunday before adding that even the money French Montana promised has not yet come through.
“We have sent him several reminders via WhatsApp and emails but in vain,” Kavuma added.
According to Kavuma, their Facebook page and Youtube channel which they were using to earn some money were also hacked in.
“We’ve tried to reclaim them (Youtube and Facebook page) but the process is taking longer,” he said.
