The winners of the first edition of East Africa Got Talent, Ezekiel and Esther have been told to reach out to their parents for the prize money they won.
The singing duo, who won a huge sum of money amounting to USD 50,000 had come out complaining to the media how the organizers of East Africa Got Talent did not pay their prize money at all.
The duo asked EAGT organizers to foot their prize money which they won in 2019 or they would not stop ranting.
However, the regional coordinator of the EAGT show, Horace Katson addressed the media and asked Ezekiel and Esther to stop tarnishing their image since their prize money was paid, just not to them.
Katson said that since the two were minors when they won the prize money, they had to pay the money to their parents, only they weren't sure whether to give it to the aunt or father.
When the father showed up, they had no option but to give him the sums amounting to USD 25,000.
He added that for them to pay the balance, accountability of the previous money paid should be provided.
"Their aunt Gladys was the one helping with everything. Their mother and father were not involved at the stage. We cannot just send US$50000 to minors. You know where there is money everybody gets involved. What happens is the winners are paid half (US$25000) of the money immediately.
But for them we did not know whether to pay the mother or the father. But the father came into the picture and we paid him.
They are confusing for us and its hard to come into the media and say they won, but family conflict. They are our ambassadors. When they claimed we never paid a penny, we still kept quiet. Now we are forced to say because there is a lot going on about us out there.
We did not know whether to send the balance to Canada or to the father again. We also need accountability for the amount paid so we can deposit the balance." Horace told the media.
Esther and Ezekiel are a Ugandan sibling singing duo who emerged winners of the first edition of the East Africa's Got Talent in 2019. Ezekiel was then aged eleven while Esther was only fourteen.
The two are son and daughter to renown gospel singer, Julie Mutesasira.
