Former NTV news anchor Joel Ssenyonyi (red tie), Bobi Wine (middle), Hon. Zaake Francis, Hon JEEMA party leader and lawyer Asuman Basalirwa during a presser in Kampala. (PHOTO/COURTESY)
KAMPALA – Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine has urged other Ugandans to follow the example of Mr Joel Ssenyonyi, who abandoned his journalism career to join People Power movement as its spokesperson.
According to Bobi Wine, Ugandan intellectuals need to join the struggle to liberate the country from what he calls oppression and dictatorship.
“It was with great honor this morning that I introduced to the nation the National Spokesperson for the People Power movement. Joel Ssenyonyi is an intelligent young Ugandan, accomplished professional, and devoted patriot. He is a man of unquestionable integrity with an impeccable record in speaking out against injustice, bad governance and the many evils that bedevil our society,” Bobi Wine said in a statement on Tuesday.
“It gives me great pleasure to see intelligent young Ugandans join this struggle to liberate our country from oppression and dictatorship. Thank you comrade, for accepting this responsibility, which I know is a sacrifice. I encourage all other Ugandans- young and old, men and women, educated and not educated- to take on the mantle and work for our nation’s redemption. No one else will do it for us- it is us we have been waiting for!”
Mr. Ssenyonyi told journalists how he narrowly survived being named ‘Yoweri’.
“I have every so often tried to do things which I believed as a citizen I should do but time has come when I felt the fault-plugging a lot more,” Mr Ssenyonyi while speaking to journalists in Kamwokya, a Kampala suburb.
He added that he was born in 1986, the year the ruling party came to power, but that he has not seen much in the new regime and wants to spearhead change.
While still at NTV, Mr Ssenyonyi, alongside other journalists, last year marched alongside Bobi Wine as dozens of young people protested government’s move to slap taxes on Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms.
Last week, Mr Ssenyonyi who had been Serena based station for five years ago signed out by thanking all for being supportive in his journey.
“Today was my last day to anchor news at NTV. My journey with NTV begun 5yrs ago, and it has been nothing but worthwhile,” he said.
He applauded the station and the colleagues for being part of his family for last five years he spent there.
“I’ve grown, gotten better, made friends and enemies too in the course of my work. I’ll forever be grateful to my colleagues at NTV, they’ve been my other family & I’ll always cheer them on,” added Ssenyonyi.
“The 13 years I’ve spent in the media from my days at UBC-TV back in 2006 have been memorable. Thank you all for being supportive in this journey.”
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