Uganda
Uganda Artists Bitter Over Plan To Ban Night Discos 
By Mike Rwothomio
July 14th, 2023 A Zombo-Based Artist Commonly Known By His Stage Name " Bad Man Riaso" From Nyapea Sub_County, Is One Amongst The Many Performing Artists That Have Come Out Clearly To Express His Dissatisfaction About A Plan By The Zombo District Local Government To Ban Night Discos Across The District.
As The District Is Hatching Its Plan Of Coming Out With An Education Ordinance, Night Discos Are Among Some Of The Issues Highlighted By The District Authorities As Set Back To Education And Thus Should Be Regulated. 
A Zombo-based artist commonly known by his stage name " Bad Man Riaso" from Nyapea Sub_County, Is one amongst the many performing artists that have come out clearly to express his dissatisfaction about a plan by the Zombo district local government to ban night discos across the district.
As the district is hatching its plan of coming out with an education ordinance, night discos are among some of the issues highlighted by the district Authorities as set back to education and thus should be regulated.
Banning night discos means night entertainment activities like artists' performances, and karaoke night amongst others shall not be allowed to take place.
According to " Bad Man Riaso", banning night discos is not reasonable enough. He said it should be worth noting that many artists, bar owners, businessmen and otherÂ
"night lifers" benefit from night entertainment activities like night discos.
He added that even these places that Authorities are deeming as hotbeds of criminal acts provide revenue to the government through taxes they pay.
The angry-looking Riaso in a nearly two minutes video posted on his TikTok handle, directed scathing criticism towards leaders behind the plan that has not yet been implemented.
To some artists, the leaders are majoring in minor issues instead of focusing on other developmental issues.
However, it remains unclear how and when the plan to ban night discos will come into full force.
Between 2020 and 2021, as educational institutions, churches and other happening joints were under lock and key owing to the stringent string of COVID-19 measures put forth by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to slow down the spread of the virus, over 6000 teenage girls most of whom were learners were impregnated and married off in Zombo district.
The Bishop of Nebbi Catholic diocese Rt Rev Raphile P'Mony Wokorach said night discos and drugs is detriment to education
Another Artist Sadiki Juvono known by his stage name " 2_plus music " said the plan to ban night discos should be well-researched.
Sadiki punched a hole in the plan advising that " instead the district should regulate night discos instead of banning it completely".
He wonders why in other big cities like Kampala and Gulu, those activities are going on unhampered.
Clubbing is seen and experienced in different parts of the world and music is the center of it all. It is experienced in various spaces based on interactions at a certain time between agents and the place.
The Whisper Eye News understands that Authorities plan to direct all places of entertainment to have soundproofed to emit noise at the permissible level. However many operators say it's expensive.
Leaders say
During the Eid_ Aldha celebration recently, The LC3 chairperson of Paidha town council Innocent Godfred Onega told the Muslim faithful at Salama Mosque in Paidha town that, "there is a plan to regulate night discos because it has a far-reaching impact on the community."
The secretary of social services in Zombo district local government Tom Orwodhi during a meeting at Zombo district headquarters says the Zombo district education ordinance bill 2023 seeks to address night disco operations amongst other factors "which are a detriment to education."
The LCV chairperson of Zombo district said the purpose of the education ordinance which has a raft of punitive measures is aimed at addressing amongst others high dropout rates, early marriage, and teenage pregnancies.
Whilst for a pastoral visit at Paidha seed secondary school last week, The Bishop of Nebbi Catholic Diocese Rt. Rev Raphile P'Mony Wokorach last week uttered powerful criticism against the disco operation in the diocese, adding that, it's a detriment to academic performance in many schools.
Darious Riaso Badman said the leaders should concentrate on developmental issues than majoring on night discos.
Security alert
Zombo experienced two separate attacks by armed groups in 2020 and 2021, since then, the district security committee has been on high alert at the border district of over 200,000 people.
Another major security challenge the district grapples with is the porous nature of the border with over 20 illegal border crossings.
How some locals look at night discos.
"This Generation is not concentrating on the study because of disco" One Cynthia Orombi noted.
Agenumungu Cypha from Zingili cell Zingili ward Paidha Town Council said
"I think night discos are bad if their plan to ban it is in place, well and good but the problem is implementation".
Batista Berocan from central ward Paidha town council said "You want to chase them away yet you are the very people collecting revenue from them"
"How I wish they stop it now, the way disco is spoiling the future of many of our kids is so alarming" Jerose Atimango stressed.
However, banning night discos might be easier said than done by many leaders across the country. This after President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in his Thursday address to the nation on security matters restricted RDCs and other leaders from it
"I saw some RDC closing night discos. No, Ugandans like partying. You cannot close the Bazukulu. We shall discuss the ADF issue. Let the Bazukulu enjoy the nightlife, but tell me what to do when an issue arises." The president said whilst ending his speech.
The statement is being shared and retweeted by many Artists nationwide
Recently, LICO Uganda, a non-governmental organization in Zombo district released a study that indicated that More than 60 % of youth in Zombo hardly read and write.
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