Gen. Saleh takes on King Saha over ‘Akamwanyi’ song
“King Saha lied in the Akamwanyi song when he said our coffee was stolen. I want to assure him today that the coffee is back,” Saleh said, urging Ugandans to support the group. Gen. (Rtd) Saleh asked the DJ to play the song, recalling its lyrics and challenging the singer’s message about the country's coffee. “Do you have that record?” he asked before calling for the song to be played.
King Saha's Akamwanyi song has been criticized for incitement
Gen. (Rtd) Salim Saleh has taken a swipe at musician King Saha (Mansoor Semanda) over his hit song Akamwanyi, disputing its narrative about coffee theft and declaring that Uganda’s coffee is back.
Saleh made the remarks at the launch of the Uganda Coffee Group at Kapeeka Industrial Park, where coffee industry stakeholders gathered to promote the sector and rally support for the private sector-led initiative.
“King Saha lied in the Akamwanyi song when he said our coffee was stolen. I want to assure him today that the coffee is back,” Saleh said, urging Ugandans to support the group.
The retired general, who serves as Chief Coordinator of Operation Wealth Creation, then turned the moment into an impromptu musical exchange.
He asked the DJ to play the song, recalling its lyrics and challenging the singer’s message about the country's coffee. “Do you have that record?” he asked before calling for the song to be played.
As Akamwanyi filled the venue, the crowd clapped along while Saleh remained standing, occasionally sipping his drink as the song played fully.
His message was unmistakable: he wanted King Saha (who he described in vernacular as a stubborn acquaintance) and the public to know that coffee was available and that the new initiative deserved their support.
The exchange adds another chapter to the public conversation surrounding Akamwanyi, a song that has resonated with audiences partly because of its social and political undertones. He has been barred from performing it at some venues, notably in Makindye, where the DPC closed the show as soon as he started performing it.
King Saha has also found himself at the centre of controversy over performances of the song. In a separate incident at Hajji Kazibwe Kapo’s Ssebo Avuga concert in Namasuba, the singer used the song to taunt the then State Minister for Finance Haruna Kasolo.
Saleh’s remarks now bring the song’s contentious message into the spotlight again, this time against the backdrop of efforts to promote Uganda’s coffee industry.
Whether King Saha will respond to Saleh’s challenge remains to be seen.