Nigerian star Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has revealed why she has deliberately avoided performing in Uganda since the events of 2020.
Tems last performed in Uganda at the height of the COVID-19 lockdown. The show ended abruptly when she and fellow Nigerian singer Omah Lay were arrested for performing at a concert despite a government ban on public gatherings at the time.
On Tuesday, the Grammy-winning singer took to X (formerly Twitter) to respond to a fan who asked why she no longer visits Uganda.
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Tems quote-tweeted the question with a striking photo from the day she appeared in a Kampala court, captured in 2020 by a The Observer photographer Nicholas Bamulenzaki.
Although Tems and Omah Lay were released a few days later, the arrests sparked widespread outrage online, particularly among Nigerian fans who accused Ugandan authorities of unfairly targeting the musicians.
In the aftermath, Tems publicly expressed anger and criticised Ugandan singer Bebe Cool, alleging he had a hand in their arrests--an allegation he has consistently denied.
Earlier this year, Bebe Cool revisited the incident on the Afrobeats Podcast hosted by Adesope Olajide, giving what he described as a clearer account of the events.
He insisted that he had actually worked to secure the release of the Nigerian artists, despite having initially criticised the organisers for holding a show during lockdown, which left Ugandan artists without work.
"I didn't get Tems and Omah Lay arrested in Uganda. It's very difficult when the internet spins a story in a direction. It is different to turn it around," Bebe Cool said.
"I was sleeping around 3am when a friend called to say the Nigerian artists had been arrested. I got the details from him and then started making calls," he added in February 2025.
