By Nimusiima
The bankable radio industry, due to the importation of social media that has Uganda by a hangman’s noose, is slowly vanishing off the face of this country. It had pitched camp within the boundaries of this nation for the past, well, 20 years and, admittedly, some factors are slowly plaguing on it. A debate that should be tackled some other time. However, it is still on, the radio industry. I am a self-confessed radio aficionado. I listen to radio everywhere. At work. In a taxi. In my bed. Or in the lecture. Everywhere! I roll my knob and leapfrog countless radio stations that are calm residents on our frequency. Some radio presenters stick out of the innumerable pretentious lot. With much respect for the geezers in this seemingly tedious industry, I will take it upon myself to list at least six new crop of bankable radio presenters that are worth our ears. And I request you to hang onto your bloomers, let not your emotions surge and if you have a problem with this list, well, the banks are open. Take it there, will you?
Siima Sabiti, XFM
Siima brings freshness to the ear. She is funny as she is informative with a terrifyingly grasp of the English language. And she is effortless. She presents with fluidity, with practiced ease as though she has done it all her life, like she can do it in her sleep. She is the new breed of cult that is radio presenting. The X-AM presenter, surely, has a proverbial future on the microphone. She makes this list.
Talkative Rocker aka Bernard, Touch FM
If you are a regular on the leafy streets of Twitter, you might have stumbled across a creative soul hidden in the @beewol handle. This occasional blogger and next-of-kin to insomnia makes this list because there is something unseen on him. First, he has a rich, baritone voice that roars from the Kamwokya based Touch FM late night when the devils roam the earth. His Sleepless radio show is popular with the youthful souls with a ravenous appetite for drums, bass, guitar and heavy instrumentation with deafening voices that come with rock music. His knowledge about rock music cannot be gainsaid. And Bernard presents with a whiff of wit sprinkled with ingredients of in-depth analysis of music and information acting as salads. He leaves you unquenched.
Ken Katuramu aka KK, XFM
If there is a definition of funny that veered off the pages of the dictionary and landed in Uganda, then it should be KK. The reed-thin X-zit presenter was born for radio. The proud forehead-bearer comes off as natural and insanely talented as you can least expect. He dragged bags of experience from Sanyu FM to XFM where he has pitched camp and etched his name in people’s hearts, or ears. He presents with sheer ease. Mostly, he is funny, motor-mouthed and presents with crisp brevity. He is not afraid to jabber some words. When he does, he laughs them off and leaves the listeners in pits of laughter. KK is the best thing to ever happen to Uganda urban radio.
Becky Nantale, Power FM
Well, she has been around for a while, but let’s just say, Becky Nantale, for the gospel radio ardent listeners, is a talented young lady with a voice so rich you marvel at its richness. She presents the popular Cruise Control with Brian Mulondo. Formerly, she was part of the duo with Mugi who opted out, but Becky brings infortainment to the Christian radio station and leaves you hooked to the show with the positive silliness and unadulterated sense of humour she exhibits with her co-host. She makes this list.
David Ogutu, Bob FM
Formerly of Power FM, David Ogutu took his dazzling baritone voice to the country music oriented Bob FM. He has been around for yonks, too. But David’s voice is what makes him creep onto this list. Well, he presents with confidence. Even in his voice, David’s craftsmanship cannot be debatable.
Moses Rudende, XFM
Rudende fits the package that teems with informative, funny, eloquent and terrifyingly knowledgeable. He is the future, like the street lingua puts it. This larger-than-life X-AM presenter brings uniqueness to the fore. He brings the long-lost infortainment to the airwaves. He has a smidgen of a hint about pretty much everything and he presents with ease, rattling through his arguments with erect eloquence. And his Soft, Hard N Heavy rock show on Sundays mirrors that Rudy, as he is commonly known, is a flexible man who not only wakes up early morning to entertain the world, but also has undoubted knowledge about rock music as well. Flexibility lacks in the new breed of presenters. Luckily, flexibility is the word you can comfortably use on Rudende and don’t create a storm in the cup.