Has Jeff Kiwa lost the formula? Ndawusi questions Ava Peace’s rise

What the report says

Veteran Ugandan media personality Omulangira Ndawusi has publicly questioned whether music manager Jeff Kiwa has found a successful replacement for singer Sheebah Karungi at Team No Sleep, according to Sqoop Uganda. In comments made during a conversation with Kasuku, Ndawusi argued that Ava Peace has not yet delivered the kind of breakthrough he believes Kiwa expected after Sheebah’s departure.

Ndawusi said one sign of real progress would be Ava Peace headlining a major solo concert, and he cited the lack of a big show at Lugogo Cricket Oval as evidence that the plan has not advanced as hoped. He also said the singer’s visibility had been stronger when she was associated with Mudra, but that the momentum appears to have weakened since then.

The discussion also turned to Kiwa’s recent work on the song Yeffe, which features veteran singer Dr Jose Chameleone. Ndawusi suggested Ava Peace had originally been expected to take the lead on the track, but that Chameleone was later brought in instead. He interpreted Kiwa’s appearance in the video as a possible sign that the manager is testing a different approach.

The article frames the remarks as a critique of Kiwa’s artist-development strategy rather than a confirmed assessment of Ava Peace’s career. More broadly, it reflects ongoing debate in Uganda’s music scene about how managers build the next major star after an established act moves on.