A lot of concern has been raised on the increasing number of half naked or naked females in different entertainment venues in Kampala Uganda that dance and entertain revelers. The phenomenon of ‘queen dancers’, who are skimpily dressed, is almost a must for all star musicians as many such almost naked girls can be seen performing with big musicians or doing curtain raisers. Some female musicians like Iryn Namubiru, Desire Luzinda, Pricilla Kalibala among others have also performed in ways that leave little to imagination- all in the name of pleasing and attracting more fans. Some people are saying this trend of females appearing naked or half naked to entertain others is a big abuse against the females by entertainment promoters and society in general. Ultimate Media asked some Ugandans on what they think about this trend.

Opira Ambrose (security guard) –

“There is no exploitation at all. There is a lot of moral degeneration in this age where people are no longer concerned about preserving of morals. These girls dance nude willingly and they are not exploited. As adults, they do it with their own consent and without force.”

Juliet Nantume (phone attendant) –

“Poverty forces girls into such acts of nude dancing. Many of them go into such acts because they are looking for money. There is nothing like rights.”

Keturah Kamugasa, Journalist and Sociologist

“Life is full of choices, some good, some bad. For the girls who dance nude, the choice they have made is to use their bodies to make a quick buck. They do not stop to think about the consequences. The shame and degradation that comes with public nudity completely escapes them in a bid to survive. Are they being exploited? Yes, if they are under age. But if they are 18 plus, then they are not being exploited at all. That is the path they have chosen. The nude dancers are just as crude and desperate as their pimps and spectators. For what would possess a respectable person to watch girls dancing naked?”

David Munulo (Education student, Makerere University) –

“There is no doubt there is exploitation. Looking at the money collected from the nude shows, it is not proportional to the money given to the ladies that actually do the strip dance. However, if the ladies are paid well, then they have the right to get involved.”

Maureen Mbabazi (shop attendant)

“What I can say is that nude dancing is so evil. It is even more than exploitation. It is a breakdown of morals.”

Amanda Shaban, Leader of Amanda Angels, the key group behind Ekimansulo

“People like what we give them. I am not an armed robber. My show is only for adults, not young people, not teenagers, not for kids.”

Silver Kyagulanyi, Musician, Song Writer

Silver Kyagulanyi

“I think the major problem is that our morals as a society are on a decline. Many young girls think it is their right to perform nude or half naked. Things like human rights have become an excuse for being uncivilized. Some of these young ladies feel they want to express themselves as such, and as society, we seem to care less. If the audience doesn’t say it is bad, the girls will continue to do it. People attending such shows instead cheer.

Since the competition is high in the entertainment industry, some artists are doing it to get attention. It is the young untalented performers who do such things like nude shows or dressing half naked, because a talented artist does not need such stunts to get attention.

But the major issue of concern is that there are many people who like these nude shows. It is a whole battle that deals so much with who we are as a society. We are shopping too much rubbish from the west including their lifestyles like nude performances. We need the audience to be selective of what they consume. If these nude shows are organized and no one turns up, the people dancing nude cannot perform to themselves.”

Marriam Ndagire, Musician, Film Director

“I’m not ok with artists dancing half naked or girls dancing nude or striptease. I cannot comment more than that.”

Prof. Joy Kwesiga, Vice Chancellor, Kabale University

Prof. Joy Kwesiga

“It is not ok for girls to dance naked. These are young girls who are not empowered. They are being exploited. Such girls have no self esteem to know what they are doing is wrong. The money girls earn for performing nude is too little. Such girls do not know or appreciate that they can earn a living from other activities other than dancing in the nude. May be such girls haven’t considered who they are as individuals- as valuable human beings.

There are also artists performing while dressed scantly. While adults are free to put on the clothes they want, you have to mind about the community and avoid dressing half naked. You can dance, and people appreciate you even if you don’t dance in the nude or wear scanty clothing. We need more awareness and building self esteem of such young ladies. They need to know that the quick small money they are making is not worth selling their self esteem.”

Emanuel Mwaka Lutukumoi, Minister of Youth and ICT, Acholi Kingdom

“On moral grounds, it is not okay at all. It spoils morals especially of our children. People should go slow on globalization- don’t just adopt every western culture to the extent of performing naked or half naked. You have to mind about the public good.”

Angela Katatumba, Musician,

Angella Katumba

“Most young girls in the entertainment industry feel pressured to perform half naked in order to make it in the industry. It is important to understand that one doesn’t have to be half naked in order to dance and be appreciated. You need to know what your goals are in joining the entertainment industry before falling for such pressure. As artists, we are supposed to be role models and send relevant messages in whatever we do. It is self defeating to send such a wrong message by dancing nude or half naked. It is important for young artists to say no to such pressure of performing naked or half naked. You can say I will be a singer and be successful without taking off my clothes.

Some of the girls are exploited because of the pressure they are facing from the promoters, producers, marketers and especially the media. If you are at a performance, it is the photo of the girl with the shortest skirt or most revealing dress that will be run in the media. I believe artists should be mentored to enter the entertainment industry when they have goals so that no body can sway them to do wrong things.”

Jane Alisemera Babiha, Chairperson, Uganda Women Parliamentary Association, also Woman MP, Bundibugyo district.

“As a woman MP and leader in this country, these young girls are being exploited. Why should it be the bodies of young girls to be shown in public for money? Why should girls be degraded to that level? Why don’t the men also undress and dance naked? It is real exploitation of women. These girls can do better if they are given alternative forms of earning a living. These girls need to be told that to dance and be appreciated, one doesn’t have to be nude or half naked.”

Hezron Batayobu, Businessman

“What these girls are doing when dancing nude, there are people who like to watch them. Supply is a response to demand. Whatever we say, nude shows will remain there because it is within the demand of human nature. The issue not whether it is okay or whether the girls are being exploited but that it is supply in response to demand.  Many people want to look at something like that. The morals come in later.”

Ragga Dee, Musician

Ragga Dee

“It is not ok for the girls to dance naked. You cannot dance vulgar and you say you are entertaining people. Even my children look at some of these videos of artists dancing half naked and they yell “Daddy, these musicians are doing something not good”. We all know that being nude or naked in public is bad.”

What do you think?

More on Nude dancers and skimpily dressed entertainers in Uganda

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A BBC story focusing on Amanda and his Amanda Angels on why they dance nude