Women make up just 10 per cent of sports journalists in Uganda, yes out 10, there is 1 woman. This is from Print, Radio, TV and now “New media”.
A number of fresh talents have popped up in both main stream and on the sidelines. They are rubbing shoulders with men on Uganda’s TV, Radios, Newspapers, online and heading communications departments of the various Sports entities.
Kudos to the various media houses for opening up spaces for women in a sector that has been predominantly male.
A deliberate effort to increase that space is required through trainings and mentor-ships.
Names like Becky Cynthia Nakimera, Peace Diane Bagaala, Marion Malinga, Alice Namatovu, Faith Kiai, Ritah Aliguma, Sharifah Namagoba Ramah, Aisha Nansanga no longer need introduction in Sports circles. But there are women who laid that foundation.
As we end 2022, I will take time off to celebrate “My Uganda’s top 5 female Sports Journalist of all times”, the G.O.A.Ts.
5. Phiona Namiiro, Sportscaster Star FM and UBC TV
Fifi Pinky as she is known among her peers busted onto the Radio scene in 2012 with Star FM, one the Radios under Uganda Broadcasting cooperation.
The former Beat FM and Capital FM sales executive has racked a cool 10-years in the industry so far. She is now head of sports at the Star Radio but also a dominant figure on TV especially with continental and global events at UBC TV.
Namiiro is host to a red hot weekly Radio Sports Show dubbed “Black Thursday” besides her daily sports updates.
She has traded with Azam TV, Urban TV, UBC TV and of course Star TV.
4. Jane Kasumba, Sportscaster, political scientist and lawyer (UTV/UBC TV)
With her exotic accent, the former Light House and TV Africa presenter bullied whoever came her way into regular appearance on the state Broadcaster.
Nurtured by Andrew Patrick Luwandagga and James Opoka she went on to dominate the TV Screens or 12-years inspiring the likes of Ritah Aliguma, Phiona Namiiro into the trade.
Kasumba handle Ugandan sports with the same zeal she did with continental and global sports.
She rose through the ranks to become one of the managers of the state Broadcaster.
3. Lillian Ikullumet, Writer with The Monitor Newspaper (Now Daily Monitor)
Lillian was not only a Volleyball player but an accomplished Rugby player, she captained the National XV womens side in 2005.
Ikulumet was go-getter in a male dominated newsroom at Monitor Publication. She dominated by lines in the early 2000’s.
Ikulumet covered Rugby, Cricket, Volleyball and Tennis squarely.
2. Joan Logose, Sportscaster Radio One and EATV.
Soft spoken and ever smiling, Logose busted onto the sports scene in the early 2000’s straight from University.
She hosted a weekly Sports Show ‘The Locker Room” on Radio One besides being the first female Sports and General Correspondent for East Africa’s Entertainment TV channel EATV.
Logose was unbothered by the male bullies then to cover Cricket, Football, Rugby and Basketball among others for both Radio One and EATV.
- Usher Komugisha, SuperSport, BBC, Aljazeera, CNN, Sky Sport and ESPN
The former Basketball player made a breakthrough in the first decade of the 2000’s covering Basketball, Rugby, Cricket and volleyball for the New Vision Newspaper.
She went on to venture into Television at NTV Uganda and has never looked back breaking doors at SuperSport, BBC, Aljazeera, CNN, Sky Sport and ESPN.
She has written biographies of Global Sportsmen and managed the online presence of Basketball within and outside Africa.
She has covered most sports events from the Village level to lately the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
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