Bashir Kazibwe Mbaziira
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I After spending many years on the Ugandan airwaves, does Bashir Kazibwe Mbaziira deserve to be called a new kid on the block, or an old horse trying to beat its way around an old road it’s well conversant with? For listeners who followed his often combative political discussions before he ventured into elective politics, the answer may be obvious.
Six years after putting down the microphone to pursue a political career, former Kawempe South MP Bashir Kazibwe Mbaziira is back behind the microphone, this time at 96.3 Beat FM, where he has taken up a new weekly current affairs programme.
Mbaziira officially returned to the airwaves on Sunday, September 6, marking his re-entry into a profession that made him a recognisable public figure long before he entered Parliament.
“Six years since putting the mic down, we are back bigger and better,” Mbaziira announced as he returned to the studio.
A familiar voice on a new platform
Mbaziira will host Alipoota Olutagajjo, a Luganda programme that airs every Sunday from midday to 2pm.
The programme is expected to provide a platform for panel discussions on politics, the economy and other critical issues affecting Ugandans.
The choice of current affairs as his new broadcasting territory is hardly surprising. Before leaving journalism, Mbaziira had established himself as a political and current-affairs presenter, frequently moderating discussions on national politics and issues affecting ordinary citizens.
His return therefore represents less of a career change than a return to familiar territory after a five-year parliamentary detour.
It also comes at a time when radio remains one of Uganda’s most influential platforms for political debate, particularly among Luganda-speaking audiences. For Mbaziira, the new programme offers an opportunity to bring his experience both as a journalist and former legislator to conversations about the country.
From the newsroom to Parliament
Mbaziira’s decision to leave broadcasting in July 2020 was driven by his political ambitions.
He subsequently contested the Kawempe South parliamentary seat on the National Unity Platform ticket in the 2021 general elections, defeating then-incumbent MP Mubarak Munyagwa.
He served in the 11th Parliament from 2021 to 2026 but did not seek re-election in the 2026 general elections. His decision not to return to Parliament has now cleared the way for his comeback to media.
His political experience could give his new programme a different dimension.
Unlike the Mbaziira who left the newsroom in 2020, the man returning to radio has spent five years inside Parliament, observing legislation, Government policy and political manoeuvring from the perspective of an elected representative.
That experience could become one of his biggest selling points as he once again engages politicians, analysts and members of the public.
More than a decade behind the microphone
Mbaziira is hardly a newcomer to broadcasting.
His media career stretches back more than a decade and includes stints at Voice of Africa Radio, Pearl FM, Suubi FM and Bukedde FM before he moved into television. At NBS Television, he became associated with programmes including One on One with Tamale Mirundi, Ensi n’Ebayo and The Eagle.
His programmes largely focused on politics, current affairs and social issues, helping him build a sizeable audience and a public profile that eventually proved useful when he entered politics.
Indeed, his media background was central to his political journey, giving him years of experience interacting with communities and discussing the concerns of ordinary Ugandans.
His return to radio could therefore be seen as a continuation of a career that has repeatedly moved between journalism and politics.
A journalist who once led journalists
Mbaziira’s influence was not limited to presenting programmes.
In September 2018, journalists elected him president of the Uganda Journalists Association (UJA), defeating Daily Monitor photojournalist Abubaker Lubowa. He served during the 2018-2020 term. UJA records show that his administration sought to revive the association, improve journalists’ welfare and defend press freedoms.
As UJA president, Mbaziira also became an outspoken voice on the safety of journalists, particularly during a period when several reporters faced arrests, assaults and restrictions while covering political events.
His experience in journalism leadership, therefore, adds another layer to his return to an industry that he once represented beyond the confines of the newsroom.
Can the old horse still command the road?
The biggest question surrounding Mbaziira’s comeback is whether the former legislator can reproduce the influence he enjoyed before entering politics.
Radio audiences have changed significantly over the past six years. Social media has become even more influential, while politicians, journalists and commentators increasingly compete for audiences across multiple platforms.
Yet Mbaziira returns with one advantage: familiarity.
He already understands the language of political debate, the rhythms of live broadcasting and the expectations of a Luganda-speaking audience. More importantly, he now has political experience that he did not possess when he left the microphone.
His new programme could therefore become a meeting point between his two careers—journalism and politics.
Mbaziira holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the Islamic University in Uganda and later pursued postgraduate studies in investigative journalism in Turkey.
For now, his return appears to signal that leaving elective politics does not necessarily mean leaving public life.
After six years away, the former MP is back on the airwaves, armed with an old microphone skill, new political experience and a Sunday afternoon platform from which to once again interrogate the issues shaping Uganda.
Whether he is an old horse on a familiar road or a new contestant in a changing media race, Alipoota Olutagajjo will provide the test.
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