In his latest appearance on Pearl fm radio for his weekly talk show, media consultant Tamale Mirundi inadvertently let the cat out of the bug. “I’m soon losing a friend Simon Muyanga Lutaaya who I’m fearful has been duped by the Bakoto [his adversaries] and the NBS management doesn’t seem bothered to save him,” Mirundi said in his jocular way. Mirundi’s inadvertent revelation prompted us to investigate only to confirm that indeed the man from Bulamogi is on his way out of the Kamwokya-based NBS TV for which he was a pioneer employee 10 years ago. Knowledgeable sources say that Muyanga, who pioneered NBS’ Luganda news anchoring in the late 2000s, has already notified top management in writing and will be easing out on Wednesday 30th January. This means he barely has a week to go. His next stop remains a mystery though unconfirmed reports show he wants to concentrate on his Bulamogi politics where he is replacing long-serving Kenneth Lubogo of NRM party. Besides enrolling for his PhD, Muyanga also recently ventured into fish farming in Bulamogi Kaliro district where he is expected to intensify early political campaigning besides serving his king. Muyanga, who has vastly deepened his social network while at NBS, is also going into academia on a schedule that will see him lecturer University kids besides nurturing his own media academy in Jinja where Mirundi recently presided over a graduation ceremony. Knowledgeable sources say that, despite being seen by the public as a top-earning scribe, Muyanga has economically been struggling. It’s mostly election-related debts which escalated when his Lubogo defeated him in court where he unsuccessfully challenged him election. Sometime last year, Lubogo arrested Muyanga and confined him to civil prison in Kirinya Jinja for reneging to pay his Shs50m court fees. In law, a successful party is entitled to costs because you don’t win in vain or for nothing. At the end of litigation, Lubogo had his costs taxed and fixed at Shs50m which Muyanga failed to pay. Lubogo was angry that Muyanga, whom he fallaciously though was earning Shs12m per month, was just being stubborn in refusing to pay his Shs50m. “In actual sense Muyanga’s NBS salary doesn’t exceed Shs3m per month but Lubogo arrested him thinking he was just being stubborn,” says a source close to Muyanga’s legal team. Muyanga’s close relatives are equally duped to believe their man is entitled to much more than just Shs3m at NBS where owner Kin Karisa greatly values him. They were astonished to see the NBS management allow their man to sleep in Kirinya prison for so many days until fellow politicians Salaam Musumba, Erias Lukwago, Asuman Basalirwa and Asuman Kiyingi weighed in to get him out. They constituted a committee that fundraised and this left close family members wondering why the NBS management, for whom Muyanga has loyally served since 2008, could allow Lubogo to roll him in so much mud to the chagrin of the Next Media brand.
FAMILY PRESSURE
Muyanga has since his release come under intense pressure from the family to demand for better terms from his employers. Indeed as of now, Lubogo still demands Shs37m which Muyanga must pay yet his Shs3m salary can’t match that debt even if you gave him another 2 solid years at NBS. Mulengera news understands that on being informed by the HR Manager of Muyanga impending exit, NBS big man Kin Karisa offered a pay rise but it was too late as Muyanga had long made up his mind. Its further said that frequent social media claims that he was a State House mole also greatly tormented Muyanga who close pals say he is too principled to betray his FDC party. There is apprehension as to whether Kazibwe Bashir, who management has identified to replace him, will fit Muyanga’s large shoes. “He had raised the bar way too high and it’s going to be a toll order for Bashir to easily fit in. it will take him time and in fact even Tamale Mirundi is skeptical the show won’t lose its appeal,” says a source close to the matter. “Mirundi thinks it’s the mafias who don’t wish him anything good that have intoxicated Muyanga to leave NBS TV.” Another version is to the effect that Muyanga is leaving because he had become too political against government that management gradually became uncomfortable with him necessitating his replacement with more subtle Kazibwe Bashir. Should it be the case that NBS management is beginning to become uncomfortable with employees who are politically active, Joyce Bagala and Simon Njala Kaggwa could leave next. Like Muyanga, they too are politically active already working towards ousting Mityana woman MP Judith Nabakooba and Busiro South’s Peter Sematimba come 2021.
There is also talk that Muyanga could be in talks with another media establishment ready to shoulder all his financial burdens making him debt-free once again. Lately there are other media houses paying good money clearly aimed at dethroning Karisa from his number one market position. Any of those could be a possibility for Mr. Muyanga with certainly that his defection will boost their market ratings.
MUYANGA PROFILE
Hailing from Busoga, Muyanga started out at NBS Jinja whereafter he crossed over to CBS FM. At CBS he was a Luganda news anchor filling the vacuum that emerged when Moses Kasibante and Kaddu Mukasa went politics initially in 2006. Kasibante went to Butambala and lost yet Kaddu won in Mityana. Kasibante ate a humble pie and crawled back to CBS where he closely worked with Muyanga. He rejoined Muyanja and Mukiibi Serunjogi (RIP) as news anchors for Kabaka’s radio. Katabira Daniel later joined them to read weekend news as the seniors rested. Muyanga later lured Katabira to part time at NBS as a Luganda news anchor for Masengejje. Their target was to counter Bukedde’s Gataliiko nfufu which they despised for reporting extremely trivial things. Muyanga was part of the team that ensured live coverage of the 2009 Kayunga riots in a manner that unsettled security and NBS was temporarily switched off. When he finally ended part timing and left CBS, Muyanga was substantively replaced by Wamala Balunaba. There had also been Irene Nakamate who quit after her husband David Ntege said he didn’t want her in the news room anymore. At Muyanga’s prompting, Nakamate briefly anchored Masengejje at NBS. At NBS, Muyanga replaced Joshua Kyalimpa who threw in the towel after concluding there is no way NBS (that had limited equipment and fewer reporters) would match more established houses like NTV. Muyanga started out almost alone in the news room along with Racheal Takari. Bushra Namirimo (who Muyanga trained from scratch) joined them later. To match NTV, NBS management had two options: buying off its best reporters or create its own stars. Muyanga chose the latter because there was no money to begin buying Serena celebrities. Pressure was too much because Kin is one man who (upon facilitation) wants quick results. Muyanga recruited his own raw reporters training them from scratch. These included Sam Ibanda Mugabi, Kibalizi John, Walugembe Josephat, Kyeyune Noah, Zahara Namuli and others that have since metamorphosed into the industry’s very best. Bushra became a news anchor and was recently snatched to become Communications Manager for Agriculture Ministry. At NBS, Muyanga has been moderating popular programs like One on One with Tamale Mirundi, Kimeza-like Barometer Extra and NBS Eagle on Sunday afternoon. He was chief news editor for the entire NBS up to 2014. It should be noted that Muyanga’s departure is just the latest preceded by several others whose quitting diminish NBS’ number one position. The likes of news editor JB Imokola (returned to Mak), Chief news producer Tyaba Settumba Abubaker, programming boss Ali Wasswa, production’s Ivan Zamakara and Shaban Iguru have previously quit NBS. Political reporter Remy Bahati left earlier and now lives in Washington DC where she was connected by ex-Premier JPAM immediately after 2016 elections. Some say Muyanga might, besides running private businesses, enroll for his PhD because there is speculation he recently landed a scholarship. He already has a masters in journalism and PhD is very convenient for one who is also lecturing which Muyanga has already been doing albeit on part time basis. For comments, call, text or whatsapp us on 0703164755.
