By Mulengera Reporters
Kyazanga Community Radio (KCR 96.5 FM) in Lwengo District has been switched off for the second time after the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) found it operating without a license again.
The station, owned by Bukoto West MP Hon. Ssentayi Muhamad, was first disconnected by UCC in 2024. But on 20th December last year, it quietly returned to the air without approval from the regulator, something UCC calls a “clear act of defiance” that undermines the country’s broadcasting framework and regulation.
On the day of the operation earlier this week, UCC’s enforcement team unexpectedly arrived at the station premises in Kyazanga Town and found presenter Nansimbi Immaculate live on air hosting a lunch hour entertainment program. She was joined in the studio by Segawa Emmanuel, known to listeners as Selector Emma Omukomerezi.
Segawa told our reporter that he hosts an evening show from Monday to Friday and also works as the producer for most of the station’s programs. The UCC team introduced themselves, explained why they were there and immediately asked to be shown the transmitter. Segawa claimed he did not know where it was kept and said they would have to wait for the station manager, Mr. Lusibwa Muzafaru.
He tried to call Lusibwa several times but got no answer. A woman eventually picked up, saying Lusibwa had left the phone at home. Segawa asked her to find him urgently, telling her that UCC officials were at the station and needed to speak to him.
After waiting for nearly an hour with no manager in sight, UCC technicians decided to search for the transmitter themselves. They eventually found it hidden in the ceiling, chained tightly to a beam, with a small electric fan placed next to it to keep it cool. The UCC officials observed that the way it was concealed showed the operators knew they were breaking the law and were trying to avoid detection.
The team dismantled the transmitter and also seized a mixer, a computer and an outdoor antenna used to send out the signal. All the equipment was listed on two separate inventory forms, one copy left at the station and the other kept by UCC. Segawa signed for both since the manager had not yet arrived.
By the time Lusibwa finally arrived (driving a saloon car covered with campaign posters of his boss, MP Ssentayi) the UCC vehicles were already leaving the premises, having completed the operation. As a result, there was no time for any discussion between him and the enforcement officers.
Speaking to our reporter, Segawa, who said he already knew some of the enforcement team members from when the station was shut down the first time, revealed that he had been working at KCR before it was first closed. After that, he started a small video library in Kyazanga to support his wife and two children. He said that late last year, MP Ssentayi called him personally, telling him the radio had resumed operations and asked him to return.
“I thought the boss had sorted things with UCC,” he said, adding that he didn’t expect problems again. Nansimbi said she had joined the station after it resumed on 20 December 2024 and had no idea the station was operating without a license.
UCC has for years cautioned that operating a broadcasting station without a valid license is not a minor offence but a serious breach with far-reaching consequences for both the operators and the country.
The Commission explains that a broadcasting license is not just a formality, but the legal foundation that ensures a station is accountable, technically compliant and traceable. Licensed stations are recorded in the regulator’s database, disclosing their location, authorized frequency, ownership details and technical specifications.
Without this information, UCC cannot intervene and take swift action if a station airs harmful, false or inciteful content. If a broadcaster that is not licensed transmits dangerous content, it becomes difficult to even know where they are operating from or who is responsible.
This lack of traceability, the Commission warns, can have national security implications. In moments of crisis or emergency as was the case with COVID19, licensed broadcasters form part of an established communication network that can be relied upon to transmit accurate and verified information to the public. Unlicensed stations fall outside of this ecosystem, making them a potential source of disinformation, confusion and panic.
UCC also notes that frequencies are a limited national resource that must be carefully allocated to avoid interference. When operators “self-allocate” frequencies to themselves without approval, they not only disrupt the order of spectrum management but may also cause harmful interference with legitimate services, including other broadcasters and even emergency services communications.
Furthermore, unlicensed operators bypass the technical, safety and content standards required of licensed broadcasters, giving them an unfair competitive edge over stations that have invested in meeting regulatory requirements, paying license fees and maintaining quality control.
UCC has consistently appealed for public vigilance, encouraging members of the public to report any unlicensed or illegal stations in their districts so that action can be taken before harmful content spreads. In previous public statements, UCC has pointed out that many successful enforcement actions began with tip-offs from concerned community members.
The Commission says this cooperation is essential because illegal broadcasting often operates discreetly, sometimes in remote or concealed locations. When a station is closed and simply reconnects without applying for a license, UCC views it as a deliberate act rather than a misunderstanding. The same sends a dangerous signal that the law can be ignored and disregarded.
That kind of behavior, the Commission says, forces it to act firmly because the broadcasting space must be managed in the interest of the entire country, not just the interests of one powerful individual.
Attempts to reach KCR owner Hon. Ssentayi for comment were unsuccessful, as his known phone number was out of reach.
UCC, the regulator, says that it remains committed to ensuring that every broadcaster in Uganda operates within the law. The Kyazanga shutdown, it adds, should serve as a reminder that licenses are a legal requirement, not an optional formality, and that repeated defiance will attract repeated enforcement and tougher action will be taken including perpetrators being prosecuted. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
