NMGU announces editorial changes

What you need to know:

  • Mr Allan Chekwech and Mr Robert Madoi will co-head the Production Desk, which will pool all producers and news sub-editors in order to centrally repurpose content for different platforms.

Mr Tabu Butagira has been appointed Managing Editor of Nation Media Group Uganda (NMG-U) as part of a re-organisation of the company’s editorial department.

Mr Butagira will in the new role oversee the day-to-day editorial operations of all NMG-U platforms, including Daily Monitor newspaper, NTV Uganda, Spark TV, and KFM, among others.

In a communication announcing the changes, the NMG-U General Manager Editorial, Mr Daniel Kalinaki, said: “…as we continue developing a paid for-content business, it is necessary to keep converging our operations to allow us use our resources more effectively and respond to changing audience needs.”

Mr Butagira holds a Master of Arts in International Relations and Security from the University of Westminster, UK, where he was a Chevening scholar.

He studied journalism as a Fulbright (Humphrey) fellow at Arizona State University and trained as an “effective editor” at the Poynter Institute in Florida, United States.

Mr Butagira, also Uganda’s pioneer David Astor fellow, has had work placements at The Times of London and BBC Washington DC Bureau.
Also published in international titles, he began his journalism career as a Monitor stringer based in Arua.

In the other changes, Ms Carol Beyanga has been appointed Head of Partnerships, Mentoring and Monetisation at NMG-U. She has been the Managing Editor for Digital Content. Ms Beyanga, who has worked with the company since 2003, was the features editor for seven years before being promoted to Special Projects editor and then to Managing Editor for Daily Monitor.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences from Makerere University and a Master’s degree in Journalism Studies from Cardiff University, Wales. Ms Beyanga is also a member of the Uganda Editors’ Guild.

Mr Julian Mwine has been appointed Head of News for all the NMG-U platforms - NTV, Spark TV, Kfm, Dembe FM, Online and Daily Monitor.

Mr Yasiin Mugerwa (Daily Monitor) and Mr Williams Kato (NTV), will co-head the Assignments Desk and coordinate deployment of reporting resources across platforms and across the country.

Mr Mugerwa, who holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication from Makerere University, joined Monitor in 2006. He reported business and politics in Parliament for more than a decade. He started as a freelance business reporter and rose through the ranks to become the chief political reporter/ head of Parliament Team and National Editor.

He was one of three winners of the 2012 David Astor Journalism Awards Trust (DAJAT) from East Africa and placed at the Times of London. He was also one of the pioneer judges for Haller Prize for Development Journalism.

Mr Allan Chekwech and Mr Robert Madoi will co-head the Production Desk, which will pool all producers and news sub-editors in order to centrally repurpose content for different platforms.

 A graduate student of Master of Journalism and Media Studies, Mr Chekwech joined Daily Monitor 10 years ago as a sub editor, having studied Literature in English and English Language at undergraduate level at Kyambogo University.

He rose through the ranks to become the People and Power editor, deputy Chief Sub Editor, Weekend editions managing editor, and Chief Sub Editor. He brings on board vast experience of running of the newsroom.
Mr Madoi started practicing journalism shortly after the turn of the second millennium as a stringer sports reporter at Daily Monitor.

He was among the founding members at The Observer (then Weekly Observer) in 2004, and rose through the ranks at the newspaper to become Sports Editor and, later, Deputy News Editor. He then moved on to NTV Uganda in 2013 where he has headed the sports desk. Mr Madoi is also a trainer at the Department of Journalism and Communication (Mak). He also writes a weekly sports column in Saturday Monitor.

Audience engagement
Mr Eriasa Mukiibi will head the User Hub and is tasked with driving the NMG-U audience engagement strategy. Mr Mukiibi has spent half of his 15-year journalism career at Monitor, which he joined as a reporter and rose to become Special Projects Editor and Managing Editor for the weekend papers.
He is published by several international media platforms and takes special interest in reporting on Uganda’s politics and investigation.

Mr Otim Lucima will head the weekend editions (Saturday and Sunday Monitor). Mr Otim has worked across several key quality assurance roles at Monitor, including as quality control editor, revise editor, re-write editor, universal desk editor, editorial and opinion pages writer.

Mr Otim holds a Master of Arts in International Communications from the University of Leeds, UK. He also holds a BA in Literature, English Language Studies & Social Administration from Makerere University.

Mr Otim has also worked with a number of public relations, communications and community development agencies, including the African Community Development Foundation, UK.  
     
Mr Raymond Mujuni has been appointed Producer, Current Affairs and will oversee the production of all talk shows and current affairs coverage at NMG-U. Mr Mujuni has been an editor with NTV and show host for the flagship programme, The Fourth Estate. He has more than 10 years of experience in journalism and has been an anchor and reporter at NMG-U.

Ms Aidah Nalubega will have an expanded mandate as Editorial Administrator for all NMG-U platforms.