Mesach Ssemakula in action at Kingdom Kampala over the weekend
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I Ugandan revellers who turned up to celebrate veteran musician Mesach Ssemakula’s 50th birthday at Kingdom Kampala on Friday, November 13, were left frustrated after a series of organisational failures, ticket-related confusion, expensive parking charges and disputes over seating turned what was expected to be a memorable musical celebration into a disappointing experience.
The concert, dubbed 50 Years of Greatness, attracted widespread criticism from fans who complained about being forced to pay extra for chairs despite purchasing expensive tickets, exorbitant parking fees, poor production arrangements and what some described as a disappointingly short performance.
The backlash prompted Ssemakula to publicly apologise to his supporters, admitting that the event had fallen short of expectations despite investing more than Shs300 million in preparations.
“I have seen that people came to show me love, and I clearly disappointed you and I own it, but nothing was intended,” Ssemakula said.
The veteran singer, who had promised an evening celebrating his life and musical journey, said the experience had left him hurt, particularly because he had invested considerable resources and effort into organising the event.
“We tried to be well organised right from the press conference. I would not have done all I did to eventually rip people off,” he said.
However, while accepting responsibility for the disappointment, Ssemakula attributed several of the problems to heavy rainfall, disagreements with the venue management and individuals who allegedly exploited the confusion to fleece unsuspecting revellers.
Revellers Forced to Pay for Seats
One of the biggest complaints from concertgoers concerned seating arrangements, with some attendees claiming that they had purchased tickets worth Shs150,000 but were subsequently forced to pay additional money to secure chairs.
Others complained that they had been left standing despite paying for access to the concert, raising questions about the organisation and management of the seating arrangements.
Ssemakula explained that the organisers had initially provided enough chairs to correspond with the number of tickets sold.
According to the musician, the first group of fans who arrived before the afternoon downpour entered the venue without difficulties and occupied their designated seats.
However, he said a subsequent downpour soaked some executive chairs, damaged table name tags and disrupted the arrangements.
The organisers were forced to reprint the damaged table labels and move chairs around as they attempted to restore order.
He alleged that unscrupulous individuals took advantage of the confusion to start charging stranded revellers for chairs, despite seating not being intended for sale separately.
“Seats were not supposed to be for sale,” he said.
The singer maintained that the individuals involved were people who had entered the venue as ordinary fans rather than members of his organising team.
Rain Disrupts Production
Another major source of frustration was the production experience, with some revellers complaining about lighting problems, screens going off and interruptions that affected the concert atmosphere.
Ssemakula blamed the technical disruptions on heavy rainfall that started at approximately 3pm, several hours before the evening entertainment.
He explained that the production team, Fenon, was forced to switch off some lighting equipment and screens to prevent electrical shocks and damage to wiring that had been exposed to water.
The decision, he suggested, was necessary to protect both the equipment and the people attending the concert.
However, the technical difficulties contributed to the disappointment among fans who had paid substantial amounts expecting a well-coordinated entertainment experience.
Some also complained that the performance was shorter than they had anticipated.
Disagreement Over Tents and Parking Charges
The singer also pointed to disagreements with Kingdom Kampala’s management over arrangements to erect tents at the venue.
According to Ssemakula, the management resisted plans to install tents because they did not want organisers driving pegs into the paved areas.
He claimed that the disagreement escalated to a point where the venue management threatened to cancel the entire event, despite the substantial financial investment already made.
“They even reached a point threatening to cancel the whole show and yet we had injected so much into the show,” he said.
His explanation has, however, not been independently verified, and no response from Kingdom Kampala’s management was available regarding the allegations.
Parking charges also generated anger among revellers, with some reporting that they had been charged as much as Shs50,000 to park their vehicles.
For many attendees, the parking costs added to an already expensive evening, particularly those who had purchased premium tickets and expected a relatively seamless experience.
The advertised ticket prices started at Shs150,000, while tables accommodating eight people were priced at Shs3 million and Shs5 million.
Ticket Reselling Adds to Confusion
Ssemakula further accused some individuals of exploiting the ticketing arrangements by collecting used tickets and reselling them to unsuspecting revellers.
He explained that the organisers had intended for concertgoers to retain their tickets as souvenirs after entering the venue.
However, each ticket became invalid once it had been scanned at the entrance.
According to the singer, some people collected already-used tickets, took them outside and resold them to individuals who subsequently discovered that their tickets could not grant them access.
The alleged practice further complicated entry arrangements and contributed to frustration among some prospective attendees.
Another Concert May Take Time
The controversy has left Ssemakula reflecting on the challenges of organising large-scale entertainment events, particularly after investing substantial resources in a celebration intended to honour his musical journey.
The concert had attracted support from fellow musicians and corporate sponsors, including V&A Sherry and I&M Bank Uganda.
Despite the disappointment, the singer maintained that he had never intended to exploit his supporters and apologised to everyone whose expectations were not met.
The experience, however, appears to have dampened his enthusiasm for organising another major show in the immediate future. “It may take me a while to organise another show,” he said.
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