Chameleone Says Shs1bn Frequency Cost in Uganda Pushed Him to Invest in Burundi

What the report says

Ugandan musician Joseph Mayanja, widely known as Chameleone, says he turned to Burundi for his radio venture after finding the cost of securing a broadcasting frequency in Uganda too high. In comments shared during a TikTok live session, he said people willing to sell frequencies in Uganda were asking for more than Shs1 billion, while the local market was already crowded with hundreds of stations.

According to Nile Post, Chameleone said he had tried to enter the Ugandan radio market but could not reach a workable deal. He described the Burundi option as a business decision, not a refusal to invest at home, and said he wanted the station to create an additional source of income beyond music.

The report says the opportunity in Burundi followed an invitation from President Evariste Ndayishimiye. Chameleone said the country had more available frequencies and only a small number of radio stations at the time. He also pointed to his earlier ties to Burundi, where he says he lived and worked in 1995 and 1996.

In July, he announced Chameleone FM, a music-focused station in Bujumbura. The development highlights how licensing costs and limited spectrum can shape media investment choices in the region, especially for private broadcasters entering crowded markets.