CBS Closure Crushes Mengo’s Finances?
CBS had a monthly revenue of over $500,000 USD, the Daily Monitor reported.
Five months after CBS radio was shut off, the Daily Monitor reported on the devastating effect of CBS’ closure on the Buganda Kingdom’s finances. The Independent also recently discussed the impact of the radio closure on the kingdom’s political and social goals.
For those who have ever wondered how Buganda is financed, the Monitor’s Robert Mwanje and Tabu Butagira clearly dug in, revealing both the kingdom’s sources of income and the devastating financial effect of the CBS shutdown.
-Although the radio management did not disclose its profits, they did confirm that CBS (which employed 150 staff) had a monthly revenue of over $500,000.
-The kingdom, which sells certificates to support its cultural activities and development programs, made $100,000 in sales last year. But without CBS fundraising, sales have dropped about 33 percent.
-Buganda makes a significant amount of its money from its large land holdings. However, the government now owes Buganda $4 million USD in rent arrears, pushing Mengo into bankruptcy now that CBS is off the air.
In the Independent, Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba discussed how CBS being shut down has also damaged the kingdom’s political goals. Although Mengo held a conference in December that pushed heavily for a federal system, it was much harder to explain their goals and campaign without their popular radio station.
The Central Broadcasting Service shut down several radio stations in September, and has accused CBS of promoting violence and inciting the riots in eleven Kampala suburbs. Betty Nambooze, DP spokesperson closely tied to CBS, has faced criminal charges after President Museveni accused the journalist and activist of inciting the riots.
The government has come up with a strict list of conditions for Mengo to meet if CBS is to go back on the air, including the removal of the radio station from Bulange– which the kingdom has refused. CBS staff have filed a court case against the Ugandan government for the loss of their jobs, but the attorney general returned the lawsuit by suing CBS for property damage during the riots.
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