Joyce Bagala is a Ugandan journalist and politician. Formerly served as the news manager at Next Media, NBS television.[1][2] In the 2021 general election, running on the National Unity Platform ticket, she was elected Women's Representative for Mityana District 2021-2026.[3]
Early life and education
editBagala is a Muganda by tribe.[4] She comes from the family of the late Petero Ntwatwa, who served as the Buganda Lukiiko speaker in the 1960s, and maternal grandfather Rev William Ssewanyana Katula, the former Mityana diocesan secretary.[5] She lost both her parents at a young age and was raised by her maternal aunt, Josephine Esther Nansikombi.[4]
She went to Mityana Junior School, Gombe SS and UMCAT School of Journalism and Mass Communication.[1][4] She later went to Makerere University to pursue a degree in mass communication.[4]
Journalism career
editBagala joined NBS TV in 2016 and has been the flagship anchor of Amasengejje, the 7 pm Luganda news broadcast.[2] She also worked at Radio One Uganda. Bagala worked as a news reader in English at Beat FM, Buddu FM and Sanyu FM. She started anchoring Luganda news at Sanyu FM.[4] In 2019, Bagala was one of the news managers suspended from work on the directive of the Uganda Communications Commission for giving coverage to Presidential Hopefiul, and Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine protests. Uganda Communications Commission suspended all officers at various media houses who were in charge of broadcasts.[6] She threatened to sue the station for wrongful dismissal, a threat that never yielded.[2]
In 2019, she was reported to have ended her 11-year career at Radio One Uganda to create time to make a come back in the upcoming 2021 elections with the current Mityana District woman member of Parliament, Judith Nabakooba. Bagala, however, has retained her job at NBS television.[5]
Political career
editIn 2019, she hinted about retiring from media to join politics. However, she contested the 2016 general elections and lost to Judith Nabakooba, who was the NRM candidate for Mityana Woman MP. Three years prior, she also contested the elections raced with her cousin Namuleme Esther Ntwatwa, and they both lost to Nabakooba.[7] On October 22-2020, the high court in Mubende nullified Joyce Bagala's election as Mityana woman member of parliament and called for fresh elections, following a petition by lands Minister Judith Nabakooba.[8] Bagala was sued by Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Planning Judith Nabakooba who claimed voter bribery and vote rigging[9]
Personal life
editBagala is married with two children.[10]
See also
editExternal links
edit- Website of NBS Television Uganda Archived 5 March 2021 at the Wayback Machine
References
edit- ^ a b "Top women in the media". www.newvision.co.ug. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
- ^ a b c "Joyce Bagala "threatens" to sue NBS TV over dismissal". Nile Post. 6 May 2019. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
- ^ Godfrey Lugaaju (18 January 2021). "Four journalists set to grace the 11th parliament". PML Daily.
- ^ a b c d e BAIKE, PrISCA. "Bagala not giving up on representing Mityana, yet". The Observer – Uganda. Archived from the original on 27 June 2020. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
- ^ a b Uganda, TheSpy (6 January 2019). "Joyce Bagala Quits Too Demanding Radio One Job To Go Bare Nuckles With Nabakooba For Mityana MP Race". The Spy. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
- ^ Team, The Observer. "UCC suspends 3 NBS TV staff over Bobi Wine protests". The Observer – Uganda. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
- ^ bukejonah (2 November 2019). "Joyce Bagala Vows To Quit Media For Politics Next Year". Newslex Point. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
- ^ Independent, The (22 October 2021). "High Court nullifies Joyce Bagala's election". The Independent Uganda. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
- ^ newsdayuganda; newsdayuganda (22 October 2021). "Court nullifies Joyce Bagala as Mityana Woman MP". Newsday.co.ug. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
- ^ "Why couples should test for sickle cell before marriage; Joyce Bagala's story". Nile Post. 2 July 2019. Retrieved 27 June 2020.