NBS TV news reporter Joseph Sabiti has announced how he is quiting journalism at the end of this month and taking on his new duty as the new press secretary to the deputy Speaker of Parliament Hon Anitah Among.
Through his social media, Sabiiti has told his story and narrated his journey.
This is his life story:
As a University student I failed to actually find a placement for internship in Kampala! Moved from one media house to another and I doubt any of them even read what was in the envelopes they asked us to drop at the receptions.
I know! God bless Radio Pacis because some how they believed in me and housed me for Internship!
The younger me admired the writings of Charles Onyango-Obbo, Andrew Mwenda and Harry sagara I doubt I understood the topics they handled but I enjoyed their work that’s how a boy from Zombo started dreaming about being a Journalist!
A part of me wanted to be a lawyer and the other wanted Journalism.I actually had to do some sort of pingi pongki to pick which course to apply for between the two! Mass comm ended up my first choice and LLB the second. I wonder how I would have fared in the legal profession.
My first internship at WBS television was after a friend and class mate said some nice things about me to the news manager and I went ahead to do four months of unpaid internship after graduation.
After four months of internship there was no vacancy at WBS so I went and did auditions at TOP TV and after so many interviews I was hired and was to be paid 200k I stayed in the newsroom for 3 days and just decided to take off ,having interned and WBS I couldn’t fit! I fled !With a failed mission at TOP TV, I got a call from a supervisor during my internship days at Pacis with an offer to work as a sub editor at Radio Wa in Lira with an offer of 350k a month. I consulted people who were close to me , a mother figure and my girl friend they said no.
Having heard from my mother figure who had supported me at Campus and my girlfriend who was in first year at Law school, I turned down the Lira Job and that’s when WBS Offered me a Job as a reporter with a a gross pay of 500k finally I was in!
2012 April was the start of my Journey in Journalism! Bytheway, TV was an accident .I was great at the radio course units at Campus and knew I had found my niche only for the opportunity of working on TV to show up !I had a shy personality and that made me struggle with the cameras! When I tell people that the real me is shy many actually interprete it as pride but that’s who I am away from the cameras, a very shy personality.
By 2015 by the grace of God things changed for the better, some how I was a valued reporter at WBS and one day while at a wedding I got three phone calls in 15 minutes with NTV, NBS and Vision Group making Job offers! 3 Job offers in 15 mins that was God I recall how enthusiastic I was about Joining NTV!
Williams Kato had identified me and was behind the scene mentoring me to join his team! He kept showing me what to work on! NBS TV wasn’t on my radar and my brother Maurice Ochol was behind the scenes ensuring I go in!
I honestly had no plans of joining NBS TV until I was persuaded by Mildred Tuhaise to meet the team and say no to their face! Now Tuhaise and I grew from work mates to Siblings and out of courtesy for her I went to meet the team!
When I met the top management team at NBS, I was super impressed by two people Kin Kariisa and Ramathan Mbago. Kariisa seemed to have the future figured out I fell for his charm and left with a contract! he would later at my wedding reveal that Tuhaise was the conduit!
Actually at the height of my confusion on where to go Maureen Adong who was my girlfriend of a couple of years asked me to join NBS so that I can be part of a team to build a great brand saying NTV was already up there so I would Just be part of the stats!
I have enjoyed my stay at NBS TV! Every media house needs a Kariisa and Mbago to hold their hands ! You will always have my respect gentlemen!In 2019 my father who is the reason behind my values fell sick and lived in my house and needed frequent hospital visits ,it was clearly breaking my dear wife and I took a decision to quit the newsroom to spend more time with him and that’s how I ended up at Action Aid Uganda.
Sadly Dad passed on a week into my new Job! It was painful I had left a Job I loved to be with him and he was gone ! I’m sure he watches over me and is proud of me !
When I sent in my notice of resignation NBS left me with my ID, medical insurance card and told me I was always welcome back any day! 9 months later I was back in the newsroom. The last one year has been a new experience given a chance to host the nation’s biggest current affairs show I believe I gave it my best shot and together with the great team NBS we have done our bit for the good of our Country. The cheers and criticisms made me better !
Over the years , I only wished I could be a Journalist and live out of the lime light ! I was never driven by fame or social media likes ! I wished I could go back to being the private me many times I didnt know how to respond to strangers picking up conversations on the streets!
On an interesting note Maureen Adong and I are wedded and parents to two amazing girls ! She is a great mother to my daughters and most importantly the best wife any one would wish to have ! My view is that to succeed as a young man you need stability back home !In my years of practice I never believed in Pomp and creating an elusive image of a life I cannot afford ! We are a humble family and can account for every thing we own ! to date I have to account for every coin i bring home !
At NBS my peers and I never Competed against each other! Solomon Serwanjja, Raymond Mujuni and Mable Twegumye all believed in our abilities and supported each other ! Grateful to you guys !
Yes and about the Zombo tag! In my early days I watched so many young people pushed down because of their tribes and where they come from and because many tried it with me I decided to call myself the villager from Zombo ! Because its okay to come from anywhere in this Country.Every child in this Country needs to be told that they can make it regardless of where they come from and regardless of the difficulties around them.
After close to ten years ,I took a decision to quit Journalism and as such at the end of the Month I will be taking a bow ! I’m grateful to you all for giving me a chance because we hold the space in public trust! Thank you Uganda !I was born on Sunday so that is the origin! Not sure which of my Parents gave it to me.
To Mzee Wavamunno thank you for giving us a stage when no one believed in us ! God bless.To the people who have mentored me over the years thank you ! Prossy Kisitu my senga thank you for giving me that first internship slot and Job ! thank you.
To Goretti Kyeswa and John Baptist Imokola thank you so much for showing me the way ! Iam grateful!I will however be on the frontline till the end of month so let us keep the conversation going on NBS Frontline.
I will not say good bye to my NBS family now because for the next few days will still be on air doing my bestI hope that in the coming years I will be able to teach in Journalism school and also mentor one or two young souls.
