Sheebah receives foreign affairs award for promoting Uganda’s culture

What the report says

Ugandan musician Sheebah Karungi has formally received the Outstanding Artistry and Cultural Influence Award, an honour that had earlier been announced at the 9th ODA Awards in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Sqoop Uganda reported that the award was presented on August 5, 2026, by Ambassador Charles Ssentongo, Uganda’s Chief of Protocol, acting on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The ceremony recognized Sheebah for what the ministry described as her contribution to promoting Uganda’s cultural identity through music and public influence. According to the report, officials said her work helps project Uganda’s image beyond its borders and supports broader goals such as people-to-people relations, tourism, trade and investment. The ministry also framed culture as an increasingly important part of Uganda’s foreign policy.

The award had previously been accepted on Sheebah’s behalf by Uganda’s ambassador to Ethiopia, Rebecca Amuge Otengo, during the earlier ceremony in Addis Ababa. The embassy in Ethiopia welcomed the formal presentation, calling it a sign of the growing role of Uganda’s creative sector in cultural diplomacy and regional cooperation.

Sheebah is widely known in Uganda’s music scene and has built a career that includes popular songs and albums, as Sqoop Uganda noted. The recognition adds to her profile as one of the country’s better-known entertainers and reflects the way governments in Africa are increasingly using cultural figures to support soft-power diplomacy.