The Ministry of Gender has unveiled Creative Uganda Revolving Fund (CURF) to spur innovations in uganda’s music and entertainment industry.
Minister Peace Mutuuzo says the creative sector in Uganda has, for many years, demonstrated immense potential as a driver of economic growth, job creation, and cultural diplomacy.
“Our music, film, fashion, visual arts, crafts, digital content, publishing, and performing arts have not only shaped national identity but have also created livelihoods for millions of Ugandans, particularly young people and women.
However, despite this potential, the sector has historically faced structural challenges, chief among them limited access to affordable and patient financing. Most Creatives operate in the informal economy, lack collateral, and are excluded from traditional financial services. As a result, talent remains undercapitalized, businesses stagnate, and Uganda continues to export raw creativity rather than high-value creative products,”Mutuuzo stated while addressing the media in Kampala.
“It is against this backdrop that Government, under the leadership of His Excellency the President, resolved to allocate Ugx 28 billion during Financial Year 2025/2026 national budget, to accelerate the development of a sustainable financing mechanism to support the growth of Uganda’s creative and cultural industries tailored to the unique needs of Uganda’s creative economy,”she stressed.
According to the minister the Sh 28 billion budget has been allocated as follows: 5 Billion earmarked for Musician SACCOs under the Uganda National Musician Federation (UNMF),5 Billion earmarked for Strengthening Copyright Management which is to provide for the procurement of a Copyright Management System and Collecting Management Organizations(CMOs) and 18 Billion for SACCOs for the other 9 domains including: Performing Arts, Film & Video, Visual Arts & Crafts, Fashion & Design, Books & Press, Interactive Media, Software & Digital Innovation, Cultural & Natural Heritage, and Culinary Arts.2
Mutuuzo emphasized that the Creative Uganda Revolving Fund is therefore a strategic intervention aimed at unlocking value, formalizing enterprises, and positioning the creative sector as a significant contributor to national development and social economic transformation.
“CURF therefore comes as a government intervention designed to provide affordable financing to creative enterprises, while ensuring that the Fund revolves and continues to benefit many more artists over time
Policy Alignment and National Development Priorities,”she stated.
“The Creative Uganda Revolving Fund is fully aligned with Uganda’s National Development agenda, including the Parish Development Model, the IV National Development Plan, Tenfold Growth Strategy and Government’s broader industrialization and wealth creation strategies.
The Fund recognizes creativity as an economic asset and treats Creatives not merely as entertainers, but as entrepreneurs, exporters, employers, and innovators. It is designed to support Government’s vision of transitioning Uganda from a subsistence to a money economy by enabling Creatives to scale their enterprises, create jobs, and contribute to tax revenues,”she explained.
Objectives of the Creative Uganda Revolving Fund
According to the Minister ,the overall goal of the CURF is to contribute to sustainable socio-economic transformation by
fostering a vibrant, formalized, and resilient Creative and Cultural Industries sector.
The Fund has been established with the following key specific objectives:
i. Enhance Access to Affordable Capital: Provide tailored, accessible, and affordable financial services to creative entrepreneurs and associations.
ii. Promote Formalisation: Encourage the transition of informal creative businesses into formal, registered entities, thereby increasing their visibility, credibility, and capacity to access future financing.
iii. Build Capacity: Strengthen the business, financial management, and entrepreneurial skills of Creatives through mandatory technical and vocational training, mentorship, and capacity-building programmes.
iv. Leverage Intellectual Property: Establish intellectual property (IP) rights as a recognised and viable form of collateral, thereby redefining the nature of value within
the sector and providing a legal basis for commercialisation.
v. Stimulate Job Creation and Wealth Generation: Facilitate the creation of decent jobs and increase household incomes within the CCI sector, with a specific focus on
young people and women, and contribute to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Eligibility and Beneficiary Focus
The Fund is open to all Ugandan Creatives who meet clearly defined eligibility criteria. Priority is given to:
• Individual Creatives who are active
• Registered and verifiable creative enterprises.
• Youth- and women-led initiatives.
• Projects with demonstrated market potential and employment impact.
• Enterprises operating within recognized creative value chains.
Mutuuzo said Government will work closely with the Creative sector associations and local governments to
ensure that the Fund reaches genuine practitioners and avoids elite capture.