Stresses are now mounting the proprietors, managers and presenters of Jinja radio stations after the long awaited Mailo-mbili project reportedly belonging to the Budadili West legislator, Nathan Nandala Mafabi hit the airwaves Wednesday February 21, 2024 afternoon.
The radio whose frequency is 89.8 is testing the air with cool music that has attracted many to walk around the city streets with earpieces to rejoice the feeling of the new broadcasting service.
Started as Ssegwanga fm, the radio has been baptized several names including Nile, Bridge, Globe, and Smile FM while others named it Tujja Tujja as the street and online slogan among the many. Specifically, the station’s name has not been revealed yet.
This publication has learnt that, many renowned radio stars in town were secretly recruited even before testing the signal.
The recruited stars are reportedly ready to test the microphone with a lot of vibe. Of course some of the fished star have been complaining of little pay by their current stations while other cried of working under inexperienced supervisors.
According to leaked information, the list stars who could have already made up their mind to join the new station is the Buyengo slim-boy, John Odwori. OJ as he is fondly known is allegedly undertaking the position of Programmes Director (PD), setting pace and regulating the content to be aired on the new radio.
OJ is currently one of the the presenters at the Kyesimira based Busoga one FM that has created a new setting the Busoga’s radio programming since its establishment in 2016. His style of analysis is unequalled and if he finally quits, a big gap shall be left at Busoga One.
He is known for the Busoga one’s vibrant morning show “The Bridge Olutindo” which he hosts with his station manager, Innocent Anyole Mbago.
The former Baba fm and now at Busoga one analyst and talk show host, Hassan Muwanga Njjaka, is also on the list of talk show hosts. It is further known to this website that the man whose voice is used in Baba FM and Baba TV station IDs and doing most of the jingles at Busoga One shall host talk shows at the new station alongside Ibrahim Shamiru Byakika, who currently runs Baba fm’s political show “Omunaala”.
Muwanga now gets a space from his Ebyekusifu co-presenter Rogers Mbajjwe, with whom he is competing for the same legislative seat of Njeru Municipality in Buikwe district.
Belonging to National Unity Platform, Muwanga and Mbajjwe are on the ground selling their agendas though reports indicate that Muwanga, a councillor of Kyabagu zone has more weight than his competitor who has never held any political position.
In the news room, the new radio first attempted to grab former Victoria fm Luganda and English news anchor, and currently at Smart FM, Rahumah Najjumah but things failed. They ended up hooking up the multi talented Kiira Fm’s Luganda news anchor, Ivan Lubega also known as Nzaalo as the chief news editor.
Lubega will be assisted by Betty Byuma, and Racheal Namatende, whose whereabouts in the radio fraternity has been unknown, while the huge-chested and beard-man Richard Mutoigo of Baba fm is rumoured to have been fished to serve as the main reporter in the newsroom.
On the administrative and managerial, the Kiira fm manager Franco Igambi was confirmed as the interim station manager, while the Ibrahim Ndhoga shall serve as the radio administrator. Already Mr Ndhoga is clearly known to be part of the new station.
According to a source, the recruitment team led by Ndhoga approached the Sunday Guide and Evening Drive presenter of NBS FM Lubowa Kyemba, who could not admit the amount of money he was told to be given.
Many of the above stars contacted for a comment on this story denied joining the new station. It clearly however, that they may continue to deny until their voices are heard. Already academic transcripts of some of the said stars were submitted to Uganda Communications Commission for the station to be allowed on air.
It is important to note that 89.8 was once called Voice of Busoga, Mukono FM, and now plays music on a yet to be identified station name.
