Mesach Semakula apologises over concert chaos
Speaking after the concert, the singer revealed that he had invested more than Sh300m in preparations and that everything had been running according to plan until a downpour at about 3:00pm disrupted the arrangements.
Calm before the storm: Mesach Semakula has issued an apology to his fans.
Ugandan music veteran Mesach Semakula has apologised to fans who attended his 50 Years of Greatness concert at Kingdom Kampala, admitting that the event fell short of their expectations.
The concert has attracted criticism online, with several revellers accusing the organisers of poor planning, disorganisation and exploitation.
Some attendees complained that despite paying Sh150,000 for tickets, they failed to secure seats and were forced to stand throughout the show, even as heavy rain pounded the venue.
In response, Semakula said he took full responsibility for the shortcomings, although he insisted that the problems were not intentional.
Speaking after the concert, the singer revealed that he had invested more than Sh300m in preparations and that everything had been running according to plan until a downpour at about 3:00pm disrupted the arrangements.
“I am here to apologise, to thank you and to clarify exactly what happened. Amid the disappointments, people turned up because of the love they have for me. I disappointed you; it is true. I take full responsibility, but none of it was intentional,” he said.
Semakula explained that the venue had been prepared with enough chairs to accommodate the number of tickets available for sale. However, he claimed that some unscrupulous individuals took advantage of the confusion caused by the rain and started selling chairs to revellers.
He said he was unaware of the alleged chair sales because he was on stage performing.
“The number of chairs at the venue was similar to the number of tickets we prepared to sell. But with the disorganisation caused by the rain, some bad people took advantage of the situation and started selling chairs. I was on stage without any knowledge that chairs were being sold to the attendees,” he said.
The singer added that he had looked forward to the milestone concert for years and was equally disappointed that months of preparation had ended in such controversy.
“I organised this show with love because I had waited for it for a very long time. However, seasons have changed, and November is now rainy. I am also in pain that, after months of proper organisation, this happened,” he said.