Consultant dismisses claims of misappropriating Chameleone’s sh250m

Jose Chameleone may have conquered music stages, but conquering the television business is proving to be a different kind of performance.

Consultant Dr. Joel Isabirye has poured cold water on the singer’s dream of owning Leone Island TV, describing the project as wishful thinking unless Chameleone fulfils the requirements needed to secure a broadcasting licence.

In a statement issued on November 10, Isabirye dismissed allegations that he misappropriated Sh250m entrusted to him to establish the television station, instead blaming the project’s collapse on Chameleone’s failure to provide proof of the financial capacity required by the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC).

The response follows Chameleone’s claims during a TikTok Live conversation with fellow musician Bruno K, in which he accused Isabirye of taking Sh250m but failing to deliver a fully operational television station.

According to Chameleone, he invested the money in setting up Leone Island TV in Makindye, only for the project to end with a test signal instead of the fully fledged station he had envisioned.

But Isabirye appears unimpressed by the singer’s version of events. He says the project progressed to the UCC licensing stage but hit a wall when Chameleone failed to provide proof of seed capital and other necessary documentation.

In other words, according to the consultant, the television dream was ready for its close-up, but the money questions were not.

Dr Isabirye says Chameleone first approached him in 2020 to help establish the station. Preparatory work was undertaken, equipment acquired and the application submitted to UCC. However, licensing could not be completed because the singer did not satisfy the outstanding financial requirements.

And if Chameleone still wants to see Leone Island TV broadcasting beyond a test signal, Isabirye says the door is not closed. He simply needs to provide the required documentation.

The consultant also disputes the Sh250m figure, insisting that expenditure on the project did not exceed Sh70m.

Dr. Joel Isabirye has refuted Chameleone's 'falsehoods' over failed Leone Island TV. file photo

His breakdown puts Sh10m towards control room computers, Sh23m for UCC application and licensing fees, Sh12m in consultancy fees, Sh17m for rented encoding and decoding equipment, and Sh4m for studio and office rent in Makindye.

Isabirye says receipts, deposit slips and other records are available to support the expenditure. He adds that copies were shared with Chameleone’s representative, Daniela Atim, through weekly project reports.

He has challenged the singer to account for the Shs250m he claims to have invested, particularly if the money came from a government source.

That is quite a different tune from the one Chameleone has been singing.

Isabirye further cites his involvement in establishing singer Justin Nameere’s television station, which he says successfully went on air after the necessary funding and licensing processes were completed.

The comparison appears intended to show that the consultant knows his way around television projects. But Chameleone’s case, he argues, was held back by requirements that remained unmet.

Setting up a television station is clearly not as simple as buying cameras, putting up a studio and announcing that the next big thing is coming. UCC requires broadcasters to demonstrate technical and financial capacity, among other licensing conditions, before going on air.

For now, Leone Island TV remains more of a television ambition than a broadcasting reality. Chameleone may have the name, the brand and the entertainment credentials, but Isabirye's message is that those alone cannot secure a television licence.

Whether the singer will produce the missing documents and revive the project remains to be seen. Until then, Leone Island TV appears to be broadcasting more promises than programmes.