I want to join politics

What you need to know:

Meddie Nsereko Ssebuliba is a jack of all trades but his inclination is now in politics. He told Edgar R. Batte about his life.

Meddie Nsereko Ssebuliba is calm and collected. A picture people who have followed him don’t have. He is a multi-faced fellow. To the old timers, he is actor whose fame they attribute to stage acting under Bakayimbira Dramactors theatre outfit with which he was for two decades. Others know him as a diehard supporter of Sports Club Villa, from where he got the nickname Jogo, in the 1980s. He is an events emcee too.

About the man
His newfound fame has been as a radio presenter on Central Broadcasting Service (CBS) where he presents a political talk show called Kiliza oba gana(take it or leave it) which he hosts from Monday to Friday, Parliament Yamwe on Saturday and Alive and Kicking every Sunday morning. He brings out his light-heartedness with jokes, memories and more on the Sunday programme.

Being on radio or a talk show host is a dream come true for the veteran actor. It is one of the reasons that led him to pursue a degree in Mass Communication/Journalism at Makerere University. This earned him a promotion. He is currently head of the politics and current affairs at CBS. This desk keeps him on his toes.

“I am always engrossed in research about politics, politicians and current affairs that I hardly have time off to relax,” he says as he digs a toothpick into a plate of fruits before him.

As we carry on with the interview, we are occasionally interrupted as fans of his programmes stop by our table to say a quick hello and crack a joke. His job has earned him followership, he has interviewed pretty much every respectable person in Uganda, from the president to the lay person.

A dream come true
“I have got a lot of mileage from this and respect. My job has also opened doors for me but all this is possible because I love journalism and I have done it diligently. I was lucky to be mentored by some of the respected veterans in this trade, people like Dan Kyeswa, Dick Mulima Sempaka, Hajj Abdul Nsereko and Mukalazi Kyobe all of Radio Uganda. They inspired me too because they did good commentaries,” Nsereko explains.

And over the last 17 years he has practiced journalism, he says he has maintained an open-mind approach which has enabled him to learn more. His passion was triggered off at a tender age when Nsereko kept in company of his grandfather who was the Kabaka’s (king of Buganda) representative. He taught him a lot about Buganda and Kabakaship. This sharpened Nsereko’s story-telling skills.

So when he was of age, he went into acting where he would put his story-telling abilities to use, but later on he discovered he could join mainstream journalism. When Radio Uganda opened doors for him, he took the opportunity and made sure he used it to his advantage to be outspoken and unique.

Little wonder, when CBS started broadcasting in 1996, he wanted to have a position as a presenter. Mulindwa Muwonge helped mentor him. When he moved on to join Super FM, Nsereko took on some of his slots.

Theatre was booming and Nsereko had made a name on stage as an actor. At the time Peter Sematimba had niched out an opening for actors and actresses on radio and that’s how the likes of Abby Mukiibi, Paul Kato Lubwama and Muwonge found jobs as presenters. After a while, the then Information minister Basoga Nsadhu (RIP) called on media practitioners to acquire academic qualifications. Nsereko took the minister’s advice and returned to school. He got a degree.

His work involves interfacing with politicians and he says he does not know of better liars than politicians. “They speak about something yet they mean something totally different,” he says. He has made friends with many of the politicians for networking purposes because he harbours a dream of standing for a political office one day.

On politics and retirement
In the next decade Nsereko plans to join politics as a Member of Parliament (MP) or go into retirement though he seems set on the former. What he is sure of though is that he will have retired from active journalism and perhaps offering consulting services. He has recently started a career on NBS television where he hosts a talk show called ‘Barometer’, and he plans to continue doing this for a while.

Life on kyeyo
There was a time when kyeyo (doing menial jobs abroad) was an alternative to seeking a good life. Many Ugandans went to the US, China, UK and other countries in search of greener pastures than what Uganda provided them.

Nsereko was one of such many. He went to the UK in 1986 on holiday but while there realised he could do with a few extra pounds. He says he was there with a friend, Fred Musisi Kiyingi- a fellow journalist. Nsereko says he was a cab driver. He says UK immigration laws have changed unlike the time when he first went. There were a few Ugandans and pay for work done was good. Today, with opening up of borders in Eastern Europe, many of the poor Europeans can offer cheaper labour for those who require it in England and Scotland.

FACT FILE
Nsereko is born in Masuulita in Mpigi. He studied at Masuulita Primary School before joining Light College Katikamu and Lubiri Secondary School. He then enrolled for a diploma in journalism at Uganda Media Institute in Rubaga before joining Makerere University for a degree in Mass Communication.

He supports Sports Club Villa, Arsenal and Uganda Cranes. He is a father, husband and friend to many. He subscribes to the saying that an African man does not count or keep track of the number of children he has. As such he also not sure how many children his dad fathered.