Copyright row between Sheebah, TNS reaches High Court

• TNS Entertainment has sued Sheebah Karungi Samali and Ziiki Holdings in the High Court Commercial Division.

• The dispute concerns ownership, distribution and monetisation of Sheebah’s music catalogue.

• Sheebah’s lawyers earlier accused TNS of unauthorised exploitation of her musical works and demanded an immediate stop.

• The case could influence future copyright and artist-management contracts in Uganda’s music industry.

A long-running dispute between singer Sheebah Karungi Samali and her former management company, Team No Sleep (TNS) Entertainment Limited, has escalated to the High Court Commercial Division in Kampala.

Court documents show that TNS filed Civil Suit No. 0077 of 2026 against Sheebah and Ziiki Holdings Pvt Limited. The summons for directions was issued on April 16, 2026, with parties required to appear before the learned registrar on April 29, 2026, at 11:30am.

The dispute centres on the ownership, distribution and monetisation of Sheebah’s musical works.

Earlier, on July 9, 2025, lawyers from SM & Co. Advocates, acting for Sheebah, wrote to TNS demanding the “immediate cessation of unauthorised exploitation” of her music.

The lawyers said TNS had continued to distribute, monetise and exploit Sheebah’s songs without any contractual basis or authorisation.

They stated that Sheebah was “the author and sole owner of the copyright in all her musical works” and held full and exclusive rights over them.

The letter demanded that TNS stop all use, distribution, monetisation and exploitation of her music, and remove the works from all digital platforms and other distribution channels under its control.

The lawyers also warned that failure to comply within 14 days would lead to legal action for enforcement of copyright.

The case appears to stem from the breakdown of the relationship between Sheebah and her longtime manager Jeff Kiwanuka, the TNS boss.

Sheebah joined TNS in 2014 after rising from the former Obsessions dance group into mainstream music. Under TNS, she released several hit songs and held major concerts including Nkwatako and Omwoyo, which were organised by the management company.

Her departure from TNS became public in 2021 after reports of disagreements over management, promotion of her music and ownership issues linked to her Munyonyo residence. TNS was founded by Jeff Kiwanuka after his split with the Goodlyfe Crew in 2014 and went on to manage artists including Sheebah, Pallaso and others.

The current court case now puts the spotlight on a bigger issue in Uganda’s music industry: who owns an artist’s catalogue after a management relationship ends.

The matter also comes at a time when artistes, including Sheebah herself, have been vocal about stronger copyright protection and fair payment for musicians under Uganda’s proposed Copyright and Neighbouring Rights amendments.

If the court rules on ownership and exploitation rights, the case could shape how future contracts between artistes and managers are handled in Uganda’s entertainment industry.