KAMPALA – Former NTV news anchor and producer of the popular Fourth Estate Show, Joel Ssenyonyi is People Power’s new spokesperson.
The leader of the People Power pressure group and also Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine announced the appointment this morning.
Mr. Ssenyonyi was unveiled at a press conference in Kampala addressed by Bobi Wine and other People Power members on Tuesday, May 7.
Last week, Mr. Ssenyonyi quit NTV Uganda where he had worked for five years.
“Today was my last day to anchor news at NTV. My journey with NTV began 5years ago, and it has been nothing but worthwhile,” said Mr. Ssenyonyi as he signed off.
“I’ve grown, gotten better, made friends and enemies too in the course of my work. I’ll forever be grateful to my colleagues at NTV, they’ve been my other family and I’ll always cheer them on,” added Ssenyonyi.
Mr. Ssenyonyi is known for being critical of government policies. Using his Facebook and Twitter handles he openly defended Bobi Wine whenever the latter was accused of any crime.
“The only “crime” Hon. Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine) committed was to stand up against unfair taxation and injustice,” Ssenyonyi wrote in a Facebook post on April 30.
“Many of us were happy to commit that “crime” with him! As young people in various professions and fields of life, our resolve against injustice and bad governance in our country is stronger than ever,” he emphasised.
Last year in July, Mr. Ssenyonyi alleged that Kampala Metropolitan Police Commander CP Moses Kafeero threatened to “crash” him over his involvement in the social media and mobile money taxes protests.
“This afternoon I got a call from CP Moses Kafeero, commander Kla [Kampala] Metropolitan @PoliceUg [Uganda Police]. He promised to “crash” me because of my involvement in the protest against social media & mobile money tax. Nonsense! Away from this indiscipline officer, I’ll have the latest devts at 9pm on @ntvuganda,” he ranted.
However, CP Kafeero denied the “allegations” saying “for him [ Ssenyonyi] to tell a lie and judge me and call me names is unacceptable and regrettable,” adding that “Mr Ssenyonyi is using social media as a tool to peddle lies and playing with people’s hard earned integrity.
Mr. Ssenyonyi has joined the group [People Power] at a challenging time, as Bobi Wine who happens to be the leader is currently under investigations of several crimes with the latest being; Disobedience of statutory duties contrary to section 116 of the Penal Code Act.
The state alleges that on July 11, 2018, Bobi Wine together with several others still at large at City Square in Kampala disobeyed section 5 and 10 of the Public Order Management Act 2013 by holding a public meeting without adhering to the required criteria.
Mr. Kyagulanyi who was on Thursday afternoon granted a UGX1m cash bail from Luzira prison will report back on May 23, 2019.
