Sheila Nduhukire: Upclose with tv’s new darling

I get to meet Sheila Nduhukire at Kampala Serena Hotel, which is home to NTV-Uganda. She is dressed in tight-fitting blue jeans and a red top when she comes out to meet me at the reception.

Her easy smile adds a bit of colour to our quick pleasantries. And as we stroll around looking for the right spot to conduct the interview, our light chit-chat suggests she is an easy person to talk to.

We finally settle down somewhere in the gardens. Seated across from her, I can see that the TV screen does not lie about her effortless beauty.

She is good on the eye. Beauty, however, as she would later let me know, is cheap! “Every woman is beautiful. So, I would choose brains over beauty at any time. I would choose confidence, eloquence, and everything else other than a pretty face.”

Nduhukire talks with confidence and eloquence, the same way she comes off on screen, but this time, her light side bubbles to the surface. She does not hesitate to break into a fit of giggles, smiling and laughing at various turns of our interaction.

But she is selective with detail. In fact, if introverts and extroverts have a middle ground, then that is where she lies. As she also acknowledges, “I do not share a lot, neither do I say too little. And oh, I am humble.”

This is the girl that popped out of nowhere right onto our TV screens, first as a reporter, who now doubles as an anchor at NTV.

The 26-year-old has quickly risen to the top. “All this has been good for me. I’m totally enjoying this ride and my achievements to this point. But I would not say it is anything yet. This is just the beginning. There is a lot more I have to do,” she says.

A bishop’s daughter
The second born in a family of seven, Nduhukire was born in Kazo, Kiruhura District to Stephen Namanya, the Bishop of North Ankole Diocese; and Lydia Namanya, a teacher.

“They raised us in the true African fashion. We did every domestic chore; cooked, gardened, and even looked after cattle,” recounts Nduhukire adding, “I clashed a lot with them, often questioning their rules. But now, I realise all they wanted was the best for me.”

As a child, Nduhukire does not remember nursing definite dreams of becoming a journalist. But looking back now, she realises the spark was always in there somewhere. “We used to steal my father’s mobile phone to mimick Capital FM’s Desree Barlow then. We would take turns interviewing each other with my big sister and record the interviews.”

She also had private sessions reading Orumuri in her bedroom mirror, envisioning herself as an anchor. Nonetheless, her heart was elsewhere. By Senior One at Uganda Martyrs Namugongo, Nduhukire had already awakened to the fact that sciences would not be her cup of tea.

“I specifically wanted to be a lawyer. Even as I joined Bweranyangi Girls for A-Level, that burning urge to pursue a law degree remained intact,” she recalls.

Luckily, she scored the required points and UCU did offer her a place to take on Law on private sponsorship.

At the same time, however, Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) had admitted her for BBA on government sponsorship. Her father chose the government slot at MUST. “I felt cheated. I had really hoped for Law. But as it would later turn out, this was a blessing in disguise.”

Life on TV, and what comes with it

No doubt, it has been a quick rise for NTV’s new star-face, but with some kinks. “My first days were tricky. I had doubts on whether I could really deliver. But I was quick to accept what I did not know, and to be open to the idea of learning.”

Perhaps she has learnt well, considering an incident in February last year where she defied the norm and ambushed the President on the red carpet during the 34th Tarehe Sita celebrations in Moroto for an interview.

The President seemed impressed by such fearlessness, social media got talking, but the President’s security did not find anything to smile about her actions. They banned her for a short period.

Now she looks back at the incident with a knowing smile on her face, but also bit of regret. “Actually, I made a mistake of starting with the softer questions thinking I had time. I wish I had cut right to the chase.

Anyway, from that experience, I learnt that when you have such an opportunity with such a big person, go for your big questions first.”

It is with such incidents, her passion, fearlessness and vigour that recognition has come her way, although she insists she never lets the attention get to her head. Nonetheless, social media has kept the hype rising, commending her for a job well done, and of late, bursting with marriage proposals for the news anchor.

Around August last year, a well-crafted proposal made the rounds on social media but Nduhukire made no public statement about it. And many such proposals have been coming in online. And yes, she reads these posts because when I bring up the blogger’s name, she bursts out in knowing laughter.

“When my name is mentioned and I get notifications, I read some of this stuff and smile. I don’t mind it. These people are just having fun,” a smiling Nduhukire says.

Hopefully, none of these suitors is seriously interested because as she reveals, Nduhukire is happy where she is. She does not open up much on affairs of the heart or know when the wedding bells will ring, but she confidently says, “I am seeing someone. I’m not desperate to get married, but I look forward to it.”

A former guild president

Nduhukire’s turning point is a stretch that starts at Mbarara University. In her first year in 2010, she was elected chief fresher, and by the next election, she was ready to contest for the position of guild speaker.

Instead, her friend and university public relations officer David Lukaya set her sights on bigger things.

“I do not think he even remembers but he advised me to contest for guild presidency instead. Because of his confidence in me, I gained the courage to contest for top office which I actually won.”

What the guild presidency did was to throw her out there and broaden her circles. Toward the end of her university education, she found her way into Kampala, and into the Daily Monitor newsroom where she was sent to the Nation Media Lab for nine-month training in print, radio and TV journalism.

“Our trainers were of the view that I would do better for TV than print. That is how I came back, worked for just three weeks at the Monitor and I was allowed to join NTV on March 17, 2014,” she narrates.

TIT BITS
What is your day like?
My day pretty much rotates between home and work. Usually if I am not home I am out in the field or at office.

So you have no free time, never go out dancing or anything of that sort?
I can actually dance. But what I like to do for my free time is just sit and read a book. I also watch TV. I watch a lot of news channels and National Geographic.

Most memorable book you have read?
Why Nations Fail by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson. I am Currently reading Treasure Islands: Tax Havens and the Men who Stole the world by Nicholas Shaxson.

What is your fashion style?
I’m not so specific. Anything simple works for me, depending on the weather and the occasion.

What qualities do you look out for in a partner?
I like somebody who challenges me, so he must obviously be intelligent. He must also have the ability to guide me as I also do the same for him. And he should be God-fearing.
Any anchor that inspires you?
That would be British-Iranian journalist and television host Christiane Amanpour. Also, apart from my parents, I have other people, great friends actually that have had great impact on myself in various aspects, including Daniel Kalinaki, Allan Kasujja, David Mpanga and many others.

The best thing about working on television?
Well, TV has done a lot for me. Of course, such a job comes with knowledge as it pushes you to stay ahead of the game. It also brings contacts and networks, and most importantly, it has given me a lot of confidence.