For so many months now, there have been so many questions unanswered to the public as to who actually owns the copyright of Jajja Tova Ku Main a slogan that was aimed at popularizing the candidacy of Gen Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to see that he stands in the 2026 Presidential elections.
The wrestle for who owns the copyright came to the limelight when Mr Frank Gashumba tried to submit in an application to the Ugandan Registration Services Bureau on May 18, 2023, trying to secure the rights of silhouette calling it a drawing that was to be used during the popularization of Gen Museveni's candidacy and the Jajja OmalakoTova Ku Main. His application was objected by Hajati Hadijja Namyaalo on June 5, 2023, against the registration of his works as she claimed to be the original creator of the works, having used them as early as October 19, 2022, predating Gashumba’s claimed date of authorship.
On July 17, 2023, Kitatta filed another objection, challenging the registration of Gashumba’s application. He contended that he is the author of the disputed works due to an article he wrote titled “Omalako Jjaja Tova Kumain: The Ideology of Museveni’s Bazukulu,” which was registered by URSB and published in the Daily Monitor on January 13, 2023, under the headline “The Ideology of Museveni’s Bazukulu.”
The URSB ruling however raised confusions in the eyes of the public with many thinking that the successful objection by Hajati Hadija Namyaalo was on who owns the copyright of the slogan Jajja Omalako Tova Ku Main yet in reality it was about the ownership of the Silhouette ( drawing).
As we report, details have emerged that the rightful owner of the Tova Ku Main copyright is Hon Ibrahim Kitatta the LC V Chairperson of Lwengo District.
As per the rulling by the Assistant Registrar for Copyright Denis Birungi, he stated that “the basis for this objection is copyright ownership of an article titled ‘Omalako Jjaja Tova Ku main: The Ideology of Museveni Bazukulu,’ already registered under copyright number UG/C/2023/6. It is an article and hence qualifies as literary work under section 5(1)(a) of the CNRA.”
He additionally clalified that “the applicant (Gashumba) presented his words in a stylized manner in red and white color as well as a silhouette of the President with a dark background. The 2nd objector’s/Kitatta copyrighted work is the whole article and not a portion of his heading.”
" The applicant has not adduced any evidence to prove that the copyright holder of that image (Museveni) authorized him before he made the adaptations, transformations or modifications. Consequently, he cannot claim copyright in the silhouette as doing so would constitute infringement,” the assistant registrar of copyright, Denis Birungi ruled on Wednesday
On some of the documents seen by this media, Kitatta bred the Slogan, launched and gazetted it in February 2023. He also possess a Certificate of ownership to prove that his work is original and a product of his independent efforts.
On January 27th 2023, he applied for registration of copyright in respect of the same via copy right application number UG/C/2023/6 and his application was accompanied with copies representing his works for which he paid application fees.
Resultantly, on February 13th 2023 URSB issued a notice of number ,476 of 2023 where no objection was lodged against his application by Gashumba and Namyalo within the required time frame of sixty days.
Thus the URSB ruling only meant that Namyalo’s objection was only successful on the silhouette not necessarily on Hon Kittata's copyright.
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