By Mulengera Reporters
Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) Executive Director George Nyombi Thembo has defended the Commission’s growing involvement in Uganda’s film, music and wider creative industries, saying its mandate goes far beyond regulating telecommunications.
Speaking at the Uganda Film Festival in Kampala on Friday, Thembo addressed concerns from people who question why UCC is involved in film and entertainment when the Commission is widely associated with telecommunications, radio, television, spectrum and other technical aspects of communication.
“Hardware is useless without software. Software is as important as hardware,” Thembo said, explaining that infrastructure such as fibre, spectrum and networks only becomes useful when there is content to distribute through it.
“Without content your phone will be useless. Without content your TV screen will be useless. Without content, spectrum would be useless,” he added.
Thembo said UCC’s involvement in the creative sector is anchored in its statutory responsibilities under the Uganda Communications Act, which include regulating broadcasting and audio-visual content, promoting local content and supporting communication as a driver of social, cultural and economic development.
He argued that film, television, music and digital content have become some of the most influential forms of communication, shaping public opinion, preserving culture, educating citizens and creating employment.
UCC says film support is part of its mandate
Thembo said UCC’s support for the film industry should therefore not be viewed simply as expenditure on entertainment.
“Supporting films is therefore not simply support to entertainment. It is an investment in our future. It’s an investment in our young people. It’s an investment that creates jobs,” he said.
He noted that the Commission’s involvement includes initiatives such as the Uganda Film Festival, regional film competitions, content development programmes, skills development and production infrastructure.
According to Thembo, these interventions are intended to create an enabling environment in which Ugandan stories can be created, protected, distributed and commercialized in a manner that benefits both creators and the country.
He also traced the Uganda Film Festival to its launch in 2013, crediting the government and UCC officials who championed the initiative at the time.
“If we do not tell our story, someone else will”
Thembo further made the case for local content as an important part of Uganda’s cultural identity and economic development.
“Every nation tells its story. That’s why local content matters. If we do not tell our story, someone else will tell it for us,” he said.
He said Ugandan films help preserve the country’s languages, history, traditions and aspirations while reflecting its diversity and projecting Uganda to international audiences.
For UCC, he said, supporting local content is not merely about promoting something because it is Ugandan, but about ensuring that Uganda has a voice in the global creative marketplace.
“A country that invests in storytellers strengthens its identity, its economy and its place in the creative global marketplace,” Thembo said.
UCC wants filmmakers to build creative businesses
Thembo also challenged filmmakers to look beyond producing films for recognition and awards, saying talent and passion alone cannot sustain a creative industry.
“Talent alone is not enough. Passion alone is not enough. Awards alone are not enough,” he said.
He said UCC’s ambition is to help create a creative industry in which filmmakers and other creators can earn sustainable incomes from their work.
He pointed to multiple potential revenue streams, including cinema exhibition, television licensing, streaming platforms, international distribution, airline entertainment, educational licensing, advertising partnerships, merchandising, international festivals and digital platforms.
“A successful film should generate income long after the cameras stop rolling,” he said, urging creators to move from simply producing films to building sustainable creative businesses.
Stronger action against piracy
The UCC boss also issued a strong warning on copyright piracy, describing it as one of the biggest threats to Uganda’s creative economy.
He said every illegally copied film represents lost income for the producer, actors, writers, editors, sound engineers, investors and other people involved in production.
“A pirate does not only rob from the filmmaker, but he robs opportunities of the country. They rob the opportunities of our young people,” Thembo said.
He announced that UCC would take stronger measures to combat piracy but also placed responsibility on consumers who purchase or consume pirated material.
“Piracy cannot survive without the buyers,” he said, urging Ugandans to reject pirated films and other creative works.
Thembo said the Commission’s ambition ultimately extends beyond producing more films to building “a complete creative ecosystem” in which Ugandan creators can develop, protect, distribute and commercially benefit from their work. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
