Born December 8, 1976, he gets the moniker ‘Kyuma kya Yesu’ from the street preaching he took to after his pastor and mentor, Apostle John Deo Balabyekkubo, died in a road accident in the 1990s.
Married to Deborah Nakachwa, the father of five; four girls and one boy, Kyuma kya Yesu says he is a proud Muganda and born-again Christian.
“Some people get it wrong; culture and Jesus are two different things that connect. Culture deals with my presence on earth whereas religion or spiritual matters deal with my life after death,” he says.
Rarely do you find in Uganda’s evangelical community born-again Christians openly acknowledging their cultural roots. Kyuma kya Yesu feels that those who run away from culture just because they are ‘saved’ are ignorant.
This is exactly the kind of non-conformist posture which fuels his activism. Born to Dr Godfrey Sserwanga and the late Proscovia Nantongo, Kyuma kya Yesu went to Buntubulamu primary school in rural Takajjunge, Mukono district.
From Buntubulamu, it was Namagabi secondary school in neighbouring Kayunga where he sat his O-levels; Molly and Paul SS for senior six, and then Makerere University to pursue a bachelor’s degree in education.
After just one year at university, the young man dropped out for lack of money to pay his fees. He later joined UMCAT school of journalism in 2006. While at UMCAT, he worked part-time with Donamisi radio in Mukono, Top TV and radio.
After graduating from UMCAT, he joined the now-defunct WBS TV, working as a presenter, news reporter and producer.
In 2012, the budding journalist was forced out of WBS. His feet took him to NTV where a freelance position was open until the Mubende saga. Kyuma kya Yesu says his employers at NTV could have come under pressure to cut ties with him.
“I wouldn’t say they sacked me but I think there is an organ of government that forces them not to work with people like me because of my views; that is the impression I got when I went back,” he said.
“When you have strong views against this government, they also work tirelessly for your downfall. They will block all the channels through which you earn a living,” he added.
It was under similar circumstances that he had left WBS TV. According to him, a resolve to force police to respect his rights as a journalist irritated the police.
In 2012, during one of many run-ins with the law, police officers destroyed three of his cameras. The force only paid for two of these multimillion shilling gadgets despite a promise of full compensation by Inspector General of Police Kale Kayihura. Kyuma kya Yesu did not sit back. He took to police headquarters for a peaceful demonstration.
“The police thought that I was anti-government and not a person to work with. Judith Nabakooba, who was then the police spokesperson, told my bosses that I tried to strangle the IGP,” he recalled of the incident, which cost him the WBS job.
Mindful of police’s suspected role in his loss of employment, Kyuma kya Yesu turned to parliament. But he was arrested for trespass, and being a public nuisance.
Before he knew it, the journalist was in Luzira prison.
“Police arrested and kept me for several days before taking me to City Hall kangaroo court for trial where in less than five minutes I was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment,” Kyuma kya Yesu said.
“Police has been working for my downfall; it has caused my sacking, broke my cameras, tear-gassed and arrested me. How can I like this government?” he said.
It is against this background that this young man cannot stand whoever talks about extending President Museveni’s grip on power beyond 2021.
“Watching Simeo Nsubuga advocating a life presidency and continuity of this government got me very angry and I said I need to make a public statement,” Kyuma kya Yesu said.
Kabaka’s 24th coronation anniversary celebrations were deliberately chosen as the day to make this statement, “because if the country goes up in flames because of the politics of transition, it is [centrally located] Buganda that will bear the brunt.”
“I wanted the government in Mengo to know that people like Nsubuga, James Kakooza,[Kabula MP] Betty Kamya [Kam- pala minister], Kafeero Ssekitooleko [Nakifuma MP] are enemies of Buganda. They are advocating things that are going to take us back to turmoil,” he explains.
“I planned this to send a signal to Mengo to call people like Nsubuga to order to drop these stupid ideas that Museveni should rule until he dies.”
That statement resulted in a month-long imprisonment, but there are no regrets since the message to MPs was: ‘it won’t be business as usual’.
“Everywhere these MPs go; people must do something to show their opposition to lifting age limits,” he said.
This activism has attracted attention. Strange phone calls from people intimidating him, or cars with strange number plates parked near his residence have become commonplace, he says.
“There are many things that this government is capable of doing. You hear of rebel groups now; it is very easy for these people to connect you to any of them and they detain you for life,” Kyuma kya Yesu says.
Activism has also interrupted a desired career in street evangelism.
“I stopped street preaching because I was tired of being arrested by police on fictitious charges of unlawful assembly just because they think I don’t support the government,” he said.
Kyuma kya Yesu does not ascribe to any political party but he is involved in the countrywide K’ogikwatako campaign against the lifting of article 102(b) on age limits from the constitution.
“I identify with those who want to push Museveni out. This should be a concern for all Ugandans. The army storming parliament, the throwing of grenades at MPs’ homes; arresting of our senior leaders are all meant to scare our people by sending a message that, ‘if we can do it to an MP, who are you’. But I shall stay in the struggle until we defeat this life presidency project.”
bakerbatte@observer.ug
