Lutaaya, Mayinja & company to compensate Balaam sh300m

• Lutaaya's “Nkolerera Baana Bange” album launch cancelled
• All members to perform at four concerts to pay Balaam over sh300m

By Josephat Sseguya and Alice Namutebi

The long standing impasse that was slated to drown the members of a defunct Eagles' Production band has been resolved with all warring parties obliged to perform and pay off promoter Balaam Barugahare.

However the standoff was not resolved without drama as all parties exchanged verbal artillery and counter accused each other of greed and sabotage.

Following summons by Gladys Nakibuule of Nakawa Court after she issued an order banning the band members from holding any shows until they have compensated Balaam over sh300m, the warring parties; Golden Band's Ronald Mayinja, Mesach Ssemakula, Grace Ssekamatte, Fred Sserugga and manager Moses Kavuma and New Eagles' Geoffrey Lutaaya and Irene Namatovu showed up at court on Wednesday.

Lutaaya and his wife Irene arrived an hour later to find Golden Band members outside court as if waiting to barbecue him.

Ssekamatte made the first move and asked Lutaaya: "What do you want from us?" Do you want our children to eat dust?"

Mayinja and Ssemakula followed suit and accused Lutaaya of committing them to pay money they never even touched.

In response Lutaaya only said: "Balaam Barugahare is the person you should be asking questions."

On entering the courtroom, visibly angry, Nakibuule summoned all them to their chambers and told them they had to reach an understanding with Balaam and find a way of resolving the issue. However in the chambers it turned out to be fireworks.

In the presence of all their lawyers the former band members started accusing each other and nothing sensible was coming out of the altercation. Nakibuule gave them five hours to go and find an amicable solution to how they would compensate Balaam.

Together with their lawyers; Golden Band's Medard Lubega Sseggona and Andrew Munanura; Fred Muwema representing Balaam and Sunday Mpagi representing Lutaaya, they headed to Silver Springs in Bugolobi to talk over the matter.

At the hotel they only picked off where they had left off, with Mayinja, Ssemakula, Ssekamatte and Kavuma accusing Lutaaya of dragging them down with him.

Lutaaya however told them he was not the problem and the only wise thing to do was agree on how to compensate Balaam because the deal he penned with him was on behalf of Eagles' Production as had always been the case.

While Ssekamatte accosted Lutaaya the most, Ssemakula accused Balaam of trying to sabotage the upcoming concerts of Golden Band by getting a court order. Balaam however answered: "I have called you guys several times for talks and you refused so let court decide."

At the end of it all, with every member having blown off their steam, it was agreed that:

• Lutaaya's “Nkolerera Baana Bange” album launch between May 16 and May 18 would not take place and instead all members would get together and perform at four concerts to compensate Balaam.
• Mayinja, Ssemakula and Sserugga are to be facilitated to a tune of sh20m by Balaam which was the balance on the deal that Lutaaya penned.
• Lutaaya and Sserugga would be responsible for publicising the concerts
• Golden Band concerts slated for the Easter period would go ahead as planned.