November 18, 2010 | by Jared Ombui
As the Voice of America was marking 10 years November since the inception of Straight Talk Africa – a television talk show famous in the continent, my mind is illuminated interviewing the host Dr Shaka Ssali early 2006.
After welcoming him to 107 Campus FM studio (a students’ radio), the tall, built and dark complexioned renowned international journalist hits back jokingly “I have no clinic…” He hates the ‘Dr’ title an indication of being humble – a quality a journalist must have.
Being one of the serious interviews to conduct as a journalism student, I was tensed to host the Africa’s TV King. His voice was clear and powerful. He looked straight into my eyes. I don’t remember him blinking. On the other side, the studio mobile phone tossed with heated questions.
Anyway, the interview went on in a tiny studio double the size of an African toilet. I left the door open after-all the air conditioner was down. I didn’t want my guest to boil inside his grey suit with tiny white vertical stripes.
Shaka holds a doctorate in cross cultural communication and history from UCLA in California, USA. He received several journalism honors and a former Ford Foundation fellow.
This interview was not only a “round-table” for Mass Communication students to air myriad questions, but Makerere University, Kampala at large.
His purposed-visit to Uganda was to highlight the role of the media in building a much desired democratic space to journalists and journalism students. He emphasized that democracy as a process needs time and participation of the society. “It is not an incident or an event.”
Before the interview, there were “allegations” that he (Shaka) was an agent for Uganda’s leading opposition party, Forum for Democratic Change (FDC). He later clarified that he was not engaged in any political activity or with a political party (FDC) whatsoever.
Congratulations Shaka Ssali and Straight Talk Africa for making 10 years of igniting democracy in the black continent.
Be “better and not bitter” as you listen to the interview with Dr Shaka Ssali on 107 Campus FM – Uganda, 18th January, 2006.
Listen to the audio at www.ombui.net
Monday, 22 November 2010
Thursday, 28 October 2010
A Taste of Milégé: Repainting Uganda
Milégé Afro Jazz Band started out in January 2009 with a message of love and tolerance for all humankind through universal language of music—a fusion of classical jazz and traditional African sounds. It is a perfect blend of modern and traditional that signifies the place of contemporary Africa in a global village.
The name “milege” is derived from the Luo word for a rattle-like bell worn around the ankle during traditional dances that herald the arrival of the chief.
The Milégé sound reflects passion as the drums resonate a celebration of joy, love and happiness, soft, delicate and melodious is the harmony as the rhythm bounces along—fiery when fast, soothing when slow. This seven-member band promises to bring a new meaning to jazz by incorporating African culture and tunes while showcasing originality in its compositions.
It is in this spirit that Milégé Afro Jazz Band is headlining a concert Repainting Uganda to illustrate Uganda’s rich cultural diversity. The event scheduled for 29th October will serve as a platform to expose Ugandans to the rich talent that exists within their country. This is also the month that Uganda marks her independence. So, it is as good as it gets.
For more information about Milégé, go to www.milege.org but for a taste of their music, download this mix that I did for my listening pleasure and now sharing it with the world.
The name “milege” is derived from the Luo word for a rattle-like bell worn around the ankle during traditional dances that herald the arrival of the chief.
The Milégé sound reflects passion as the drums resonate a celebration of joy, love and happiness, soft, delicate and melodious is the harmony as the rhythm bounces along—fiery when fast, soothing when slow. This seven-member band promises to bring a new meaning to jazz by incorporating African culture and tunes while showcasing originality in its compositions.
It is in this spirit that Milégé Afro Jazz Band is headlining a concert Repainting Uganda to illustrate Uganda’s rich cultural diversity. The event scheduled for 29th October will serve as a platform to expose Ugandans to the rich talent that exists within their country. This is also the month that Uganda marks her independence. So, it is as good as it gets.
For more information about Milégé, go to www.milege.org but for a taste of their music, download this mix that I did for my listening pleasure and now sharing it with the world.
Wednesday, 20 October 2010
A Case for a Noble Profession
Dear Susan,
I became a teacher by accident....at the time the Ministry of Education had declared that there was need to train more teachers and I was among those who were forced to that profession. I spent two weeks at the Registry office begging him to change the course. The registry became very curious and asked why l desperately needed to change that noble profession. I told him while at school I was very stubborn, naughty, full of mischief and that I did not want to be treated in the same way. The gentleman laughed and told me I would remain in that profession and he predicted for those reasons I would be a good teacher and would be grateful to him many years to come and today I can never thank him enough why?
The teaching profession is not about methodology but its a perfect understanding between a teacher and a student, it is a spiritual/sacred feeling, a mission, an ideal that arises betwen a teacher and a student and this help us to construct a better world and future by opening minds and lowering walls.
Teaching means youth, you are young all the time, you meet young people and you feel young (ask Bitamazire) Ed-Uganda's Minister of Education
Its an art as you create different ways to impart knowledge, ability, skills and moral character for intellectual development. The teacher shares the parents' responsibility and directly involves promoting health, mental and moral life of children.
While the teaching profession promises no financial prizes equal to those obtained in law, engineering the material rewards that teaching brings are not the chief reasons for going into it. In my scenario Namasagali gave us the opportunity to enjoy, practice and excel coz teaching was not only confined to the classroom but it included extra curricular development, technical planning, policy making and instructional design. Father encouraged us to grow, experiment and learn different ways to promote the profession. He always reminded us that this is a noble profession and for it to remain so we had to develop its full potential otherwise society would suffer a permanent loss. So Susan some of those challenges you sent below are some of the things that made teaching very interesting and humorous ....
Good day, Lau
I became a teacher by accident....at the time the Ministry of Education had declared that there was need to train more teachers and I was among those who were forced to that profession. I spent two weeks at the Registry office begging him to change the course. The registry became very curious and asked why l desperately needed to change that noble profession. I told him while at school I was very stubborn, naughty, full of mischief and that I did not want to be treated in the same way. The gentleman laughed and told me I would remain in that profession and he predicted for those reasons I would be a good teacher and would be grateful to him many years to come and today I can never thank him enough why?
The teaching profession is not about methodology but its a perfect understanding between a teacher and a student, it is a spiritual/sacred feeling, a mission, an ideal that arises betwen a teacher and a student and this help us to construct a better world and future by opening minds and lowering walls.
Teaching means youth, you are young all the time, you meet young people and you feel young (ask Bitamazire) Ed-Uganda's Minister of Education
Its an art as you create different ways to impart knowledge, ability, skills and moral character for intellectual development. The teacher shares the parents' responsibility and directly involves promoting health, mental and moral life of children.
While the teaching profession promises no financial prizes equal to those obtained in law, engineering the material rewards that teaching brings are not the chief reasons for going into it. In my scenario Namasagali gave us the opportunity to enjoy, practice and excel coz teaching was not only confined to the classroom but it included extra curricular development, technical planning, policy making and instructional design. Father encouraged us to grow, experiment and learn different ways to promote the profession. He always reminded us that this is a noble profession and for it to remain so we had to develop its full potential otherwise society would suffer a permanent loss. So Susan some of those challenges you sent below are some of the things that made teaching very interesting and humorous ....
Good day, Lau
Wednesday, 15 September 2010
Is it Still in Our Common Interest?
The Commission for Africa [which was set up by Tony Blair, when he was British Prime Minister] has released a report, which follows up on the one published in 2005. It examines what has happened in Africa since then and conducts an assessment of the progress made against each of the recommendations made five years ago.
In a statement, the Commissioners said:
“There is much to celebrate. African governments have done more than ever before to promote business and investment. Donors have supported this by boosting their support to infrastructure and providing the aid and debt relief that has allowed African governments to increase their expenditure in key areas such as health, education and agriculture.
But there remains much to be done. Progress on reforming international trade rules has been dismal; donors are still providing less in aid than their commitments; and African governments are still not investing as much as they promised in key areas. That is why we believe this review is timely, and why we believe it is right to renew a number of the recommendations.....because they have yet to be fully implemented........"
They go on to say ".....Africa’s development requires a range of measures, with African governments in the lead supported by the international community...."
This is where it begs the question, can we Africans do it on our own instead always asking for help from donors, international community? It is indeed in our common interest as Africans muster all our energies and synergies as well as available resources to work out how we are going to do it. Since this report is going to form part of discussions at the upcoming UN MDG Summit on 20 September, can our leaders use this opportunity, get together and find a formula to do it without begging donors, international community for help to solve Africans' own problems.
The report can accessed here
In a statement, the Commissioners said:
“There is much to celebrate. African governments have done more than ever before to promote business and investment. Donors have supported this by boosting their support to infrastructure and providing the aid and debt relief that has allowed African governments to increase their expenditure in key areas such as health, education and agriculture.
But there remains much to be done. Progress on reforming international trade rules has been dismal; donors are still providing less in aid than their commitments; and African governments are still not investing as much as they promised in key areas. That is why we believe this review is timely, and why we believe it is right to renew a number of the recommendations.....because they have yet to be fully implemented........"
They go on to say ".....Africa’s development requires a range of measures, with African governments in the lead supported by the international community...."
This is where it begs the question, can we Africans do it on our own instead always asking for help from donors, international community? It is indeed in our common interest as Africans muster all our energies and synergies as well as available resources to work out how we are going to do it. Since this report is going to form part of discussions at the upcoming UN MDG Summit on 20 September, can our leaders use this opportunity, get together and find a formula to do it without begging donors, international community for help to solve Africans' own problems.
The report can accessed here
Saturday, 4 September 2010
We Need More Than Vuvuzelas For Uganda Cranes
Today, Uganda Cranes hosts Angola's Palancas Negras (Black Antelopes) at Namboole Stadium in Kampala. It is one of the matches for qualification to 2012 Africa Cup of Nations. Despite expectation that we are expected to give our all in support to the national side, I am not keen on having my heart broken for the umpteenth time.
While we may need to support Cranes, Uganda's football needs more than vuvuzelas on such Saturdays to get things right. It is a process that has to start from the grassroots to the very top. We scream ourselves hoarse then towards the end of the campaign, there are those mathematical calculations we start to 'guesstimate' bse Cranes didn't score enough away goals or win emphatically.
In the final analysis, I don't have much hope in UG's chances in getting to the 2012 Cup of Nations.....the whole FUFA administration, search for upcoming talent, football league, finances, fans support, media, corporate sponsorship, government support/budget et cetera will have to be fine tuned and tweaked to work in sync. Only then can we be prepared to take on the world. It is only then that Uganda will win more awards than just the CECAFA 'thing' [which has become boring].
Food for thought: Why is it that there are more fans of English Premiership clubs in Uganda than for the national team? More media coverage of the lives of the Premiership players and their WAGs than just results of matches from our own football league?
While we may need to support Cranes, Uganda's football needs more than vuvuzelas on such Saturdays to get things right. It is a process that has to start from the grassroots to the very top. We scream ourselves hoarse then towards the end of the campaign, there are those mathematical calculations we start to 'guesstimate' bse Cranes didn't score enough away goals or win emphatically.
In the final analysis, I don't have much hope in UG's chances in getting to the 2012 Cup of Nations.....the whole FUFA administration, search for upcoming talent, football league, finances, fans support, media, corporate sponsorship, government support/budget et cetera will have to be fine tuned and tweaked to work in sync. Only then can we be prepared to take on the world. It is only then that Uganda will win more awards than just the CECAFA 'thing' [which has become boring].
Food for thought: Why is it that there are more fans of English Premiership clubs in Uganda than for the national team? More media coverage of the lives of the Premiership players and their WAGs than just results of matches from our own football league?
Friday, 3 September 2010
Three Million Dollars
Michael Ezra's press conference at which he flashed what seemed a huge amount of money in US dollars has captured headlines and the buzz around the city. Even earning a top headline on Uganda's #1 independent daily!! (Were there no more important stories, Daily Monitor?) More than it being a case of Mr. Ezra debunking talk of being in the red, owing about $2m (or UShs 1 bn) in back taxes and an outstanding loan of UShs 400m, it was a verdict on the kind of journalism we have in Uganda!
Even without asking the necessary questions like "Are you broke?", a little sense of observation and reading between the lines would have shown the journalists that this is a non-story. First off, while 'tycoons' like Sudhir and Karim owns hotels et al, Mulwana is into plastics manufacturing among others, and Kirumira is in real estate among others, Mr. Ezra has no known source of such huge sums of money that he gladly shows off [with the media playing unquestioning praise singer....]. If the press is the watchdog of this society, then it is asleep on the job. Why journalists risk and put a lot at stake in unearthing shady deals like NSSF-Temangalo "procurement or investment" saga; then fail to probe where this guy gets this money from? Definitely, it goes without saying that in many Ugandans' minds...that is the three-million question?
Moreover, just putting two and two together....there are some obvious questions: Why would someone who can casually move around with three million dollars, borrow just UShs 400m (about US$ 200,000) from a bank at an interest rate of more than 20%? Were those genuine dollars anyway? Further still, keen observation and mental calculation (using the picture as a reference), the amount on the table is a little more than US$ 1m. By the way, who mentioned the figure US$ 3m!!! Even Mr. Ezra didn't, as per the Monitor story!! Besides this guy who purportedly ordered for a private plane, bid for Leeds United (why did the deal fall through?), bought a Lamborghini (for Kampala kind of roads?)...are journalists so gullible not to check this up [They don't need to move from their seats, just surf the net, send out a few inquiring e-mails].
Yes, Mr. Ezra may have money but showing cash in public is not the mark of the wealthy or of a successful business man....It is better suited for rappers in music videos (check Make It Rain and many others).
Lastly, this is a personal appeal, the word "tycoon" is an over-cliched in our newspapers; can we give it a break?
Tuesday, 31 August 2010
Land of Confusion
Across Uganda, the ruling political party, National Resistance Movement (NRM), is conducting primaries for its flagbearers for different elective positions in the run up to 2011 general elections. The exercise which was supposed to be conducted yesterday (30th August 2010) has been marred by vote rigging, stuffed ballots, missing voters' names, intimidation, vote buying, administrative incompetencies, among a cocktail of many other woes. In many places, there have been postponements. As the Daily Monitor put it, it is a vote of no confidence! Ugandans should definitely ask themselves, if this is a precursor to 2011?
Meanwhile, the opposition are not faring any better albeit in a different way. One of the parties, Uganda Peoples Congress has opted out of the Inter-Party Cooperation (IPC)-which was envisaged as a coalition of sorts to front a single opponent to President Yoweri Museveni. I think a two-horse race would have been a boon to Uganda's 'democracy' at this stage than "[many] dog[s] barking at an elephant" (Museveni in 2006, any one remember that?). As with many opposition parties in other countries in Africa, unity of purpose and aim, it seems, can not be agreed on like the IPC seemed geared towards. A squabbling divided opposition is a blessing for the incumbent. Museveni has one less headache, may be he should use the opportunity to concentrate on putting his NRM in order. Is it about time?
In other related developments, the display of voters' register winds up today. Though the Electoral Commission (EC) achieved its target of registering 3.5 million new voters, the display exercise has not attracted as much enthusiasm. However, the EC should be commended for the effort and even enabling online access to the register. Props....after the display, there does not appear a clear-charted way forward from EC...my question is what happens next?
Meanwhile, the opposition are not faring any better albeit in a different way. One of the parties, Uganda Peoples Congress has opted out of the Inter-Party Cooperation (IPC)-which was envisaged as a coalition of sorts to front a single opponent to President Yoweri Museveni. I think a two-horse race would have been a boon to Uganda's 'democracy' at this stage than "[many] dog[s] barking at an elephant" (Museveni in 2006, any one remember that?). As with many opposition parties in other countries in Africa, unity of purpose and aim, it seems, can not be agreed on like the IPC seemed geared towards. A squabbling divided opposition is a blessing for the incumbent. Museveni has one less headache, may be he should use the opportunity to concentrate on putting his NRM in order. Is it about time?
In other related developments, the display of voters' register winds up today. Though the Electoral Commission (EC) achieved its target of registering 3.5 million new voters, the display exercise has not attracted as much enthusiasm. However, the EC should be commended for the effort and even enabling online access to the register. Props....after the display, there does not appear a clear-charted way forward from EC...my question is what happens next?
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