NBS TV, NUP make peace

The war of words between the National Unity Platform and NBS TV, could be over.

After the general elections, Presidential Candidate Robert Kyagulanyi came out strongly to criticize NBS TV for projecting electoral results showing President Museveni had won the January 2021 elections.

Mr. Kyagulanyi said, the results were cooked up, and accused NBS of being in bed with Mr. Museveni’s regime.

As time goes by, it seems the wounds have been healed and NBS TV has embraced NUP once again.

NBS television whose ambitious drive to dominate Ugandan media space is on course with its attempt to consolidate its viewership from across the political spectrum.

After elections, Uganda is a very divided country and there are also temptations for media houses to take sides.

However, NBS is shooting in the right direction, trying hard to remain in the middle and therefore attracting audiences of all shades.

The past couple of weeks have seen NBS TV’s chief of protocol, Pablo Bashir, lining up several NUP principles for talk shows. Mr. Bashir is Mr Fix It for NBS, being the personnel with a large reach of important persons in Uganda – in political, diplomacy, security, business, academia and, civil society.

Mr. Lewis Rubongoya, the secretary-general of  NUP, also believed to be the second powerful man in the now biggest party on the block, was invited on the Frontline show, a flagship political show for the television. The show is a preserve of the biggest names in the Ugandan political business.

The show was followed by another invite which happened to stumble as Samson Kasumba and now leader of opposition Mr. Mathias Mpuuga exchanged sharp words over the role of NUP in the parliament of Uganda.

Mr. Mpuuga, who was appointed leader of the opposition on the weekend accused Kasumba of attempting to blackmail NUP.

However, on Tuesday morning, Mr. Mpuuga now building his profile as LoP, graced NBS breakfast show, The Morning Breeze, hosted by Kaggwa Njala on which he had an entertaining show.

This was Mr. Mpuuga’s first television show and was welcomed at Next Media by among others, investigative journalist Solomon Sserwanja. Photos making rounds on social media also show Mr. Pablo with Mpuuga entering Next Media offices in Naguru.

Analysts say NEXT media is in overdrive to cement its dominance of the media industry.

On the show, Mr. Mpuuga said he needed more funding from the government towards the office of the Leader of Opposition.

Mpuuga said LoP receives Sh3.1 billion, annually, with three-quarters of it going to paying staff. He however says he needs a well-facilitated office to enable him to do his work of checking government.

Mpuuga also accused the seemingly bad blood between NUP and FDC of a “hangover”.

He said he has asked NUP not to return fire for fire from the former occupants of the LoP office, the Forum for Democratic Change.

“I am a bit shocked and disappointed by our comrades in FDC and I have encouraged my comrades in NUP not to fight back.”

He added, “I understand the situation of our comrades in FDC. They have been where we are for the last 15/20 years and they never educated themselves of this possibility. It could be a little bit of a hangover but I know it will calm down.

“I am inviting FDC not to try and patronize NUP because it will not work. We can share views but we shall not agree to be patronized. A few individuals are the ones trying to make the relationship frosty.”