In a mid-May 2026 interview with Galaxy TV, Ugandan music DJ and promoter DJ Erycom claimed he was the first Ugandan to own a YouTube channel and that the platform awarded him an “accolade” for the milestone.

As his claim continues to spark debates, let’s see whether the facts back DJ Erycom up or…

So, who is DJ Erycom?
Eryck Paul Mutebi (born 9 October 1989), professionally known as DJ Erycom, is one of the pioneers of uploading Ugandan music online for free downloading and listening through his website, djerycom.ug. Despite ongoing accusations of promoting music piracy, Ugandan artists continue to build their early audiences through free music download sites like Erycom’s.

As the self-proclaimed “Local but Global DJ,” DJ Erycom remains a household name among Ugandan music lovers. If you have ever heard the iconic “Remember where you got it first… www.djerycom.com” tag in a Ugandan song, that’s him!

Was DJ Erycom the First Ugandan to own a YouTube channel?
Let’s start by setting out some facts. YouTube was launched on 15 December 2005.

DJ Erycom claims he created his channel in November 2006, describing it as “two months after Google bought the platform.” However, Google finalised its acquisition of YouTube on 13 November 2006.

He also added that YouTube awarded accolades to the first users who created YouTube channels in each country, claiming he received the accolade for Uganda. However, there is no evidence in YouTube’s official history or creator policies to prove the existence of any programme of this nature.

So, was DJ Erycom the first Ugandan to create a YouTube channel? Keep reading… there’s more.

DJ Erycom on YouTube
On the platform, the veteran DJ currently operates a YouTube channel titled DJ Erycom Uganda under the username @DJErycomUganda.

At the time of this publication, the channel features 31 uploaded videos and has 46.6K subscribers. The interesting part? Its metadata indicates the account was created on 8 December 2011, a date that warrants close attention.

This disparity raises an obvious question: if DJ Erycom created a historic YouTube channel in 2006, where is that digital footprint today?

History of YouTube in Uganda
While global access to YouTube began in 2005, Google launched the Ugandan localised domain (youtube.co.ug) on Friday, 2 December 2011. The introduction of youtube.co.ug adjusted YouTube’s system to surface more locally relevant content on the homepage while still operating alongside the global version. The rollout was officially commissioned by then Minister of ICT, Dr Ruhakana Rugunda.

From a timing perspective, this places DJ Erycom’s existing YouTube channel creation just six days after the launch of the localised Ugandan YouTube domain.

So, was he the first?
Our checks also identified Ugandan channels that predate his verified YouTube channel. Among them is NTV Uganda, which joined YouTube in November 2007, and Bebe Cool, whose channel dates back to January 2009.

Conclusion: There is no evidence that DJ Erycom was the first Ugandan to create a YouTube channel. Several claims he made around this topic during the interview are also inaccurate.

NTV Uganda remains the oldest active Ugandan YouTube channel on record based on current evidence, leaving DJ Erycom’s claim of a 2006 channel unproven.

@galaxytvug Legendary Ugandan disc jockey DJ Erycom claims he made history as the first Ugandan to launch a YouTube channel. #TheDeepTalk ♬ original sound – Galaxy TV Jikonkone