Twitter-happy Kanye West may need to check his tab when he eventually leaves Uganda — since the African country implemented a regressive social media tax in July.
Then again, even if West were subject to the tax, he should be able to foot the bill — as opposed to some locals. The tax, that went into effect July 1 and sparked public protests, charges 200 Ugandan shillings (or $0.05) per day, according to Wired, to use 60 mobile apps including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and WhatsApp.
West has been posting copious videos from the African nation, where he’s completing work on his new album, including clips on Tuesday showing local kids dancing and pictures of a newspaper with West and wife Kim Kardashian on the front page.
Critics of the social media tax say it’s repressive to free speech and unfair to the poor. The tax is the first of its kind according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
Uganda’s President Museveni, who met with West and Kardashian this week, has said of the tax: “Social-media use is definitely a luxury item… Internet use can be sometimes for educational purposes and research. This should not be taxed. However, using internet to access social media for chatting, recreation, malice, subversion, inciting murder, is definitely a luxury.” He’s been in power since 1986, and the government in 2016 blocked social media during elections, reportedly to stop protests, discourage voting and block opposition.
Opponents of the ban include musician-turned-Parliament member, Robert Kyagulanyi (aka Bobi Wine). He’s led protests against the tax along with another musician, Alexander Bagonza (aka A Pass).
Kyagulanyi said in a report on West’s visit: “It would have been great if he had used his voice for the good of people in Africa… I’m a musician but I am not allowed to stage a show in my own country because I disagree with the president. It is very disappointing.”
Other African musicians have also distanced themselves from West. When the rapper namechecked the late legendary Fela Kuti in a post that said, “I am the best living recording artist… The spirit of Fela, the spirit of [Bob] Marley, the spirit of [Tu]Pac [Shakur] flows through me,” Kuti’s musician son, Seun Kuti, posted, “On behalf of the Kuti family, I want to state that the spirit of Olufela Anikulapo Kuti [his father’s full name] isn’t anywhere near Kanye West.”
A source exclusively told Page Six on Monday that West is planning to extend his Uganda trip, and that, “Kanye wants to get involved in creating a tourism and hospitality school for higher education.”
The source added that West has set up a dome to record his new album at the Chobe Safari Lodge, and that he’s thinking of adding “two additional domes for work.” He’s also been rolling around the resort in a truck with the personalized license plate ‘K. WEST.’”
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