Finance Minister Maria Kiwanuka has lifted the ban on motor mouthed tycoon Franck Gashumba, allowing him to return to her Akaboozi FM Radio.

But this came with stern restrictions that has prompted the Awakening Uganda top boss to threaten to leave the talk-show altogether.

The restrictions include inviting politicians to the talk-show to face off with Gashumba in a bid to water down the venom he is accused of directing towards government's policies and vices, for which Minister Maria Kiwanuka showed him the red card in the first place.

Far from curtailing Gashumba's acidic tongue, we understand, the NRM leaning panellists are on the mission to frustrate him, by taking a lion share of the talk show time, leaving him with a few minutes to make his contribution.

This is what exactly happened today when the talk show moderator Basajjamivule hosted Gomba woman MP Rose Najjemba along with Robert Ssebunnya of Kyaddondo North, who talked for longer minutes, leaving Gashumba only about 20 minutes to make his case.

To make matters worse, Cissy Kagaba of the Anti-Corruption Coalition also appeared at the talk show that debated the Cabinet Budget proposals, eating into most of the allotted talk show time.

Our investigations reveal the intention of hosting many panellists is meant to leave Gashumba a few minutes to put across his arguments, so that the impact of what he contributes is minimal.

"I cannot go to a talk show to contribute for only 20 minutes. How can a serious Radio Station allow politicians to talk empty politics for much of the talk show time and allow Gashumba talking developmental issues, negligible air time to do so?" Gashumba is quoted charging.

Sources close to Gashumba quoted him as wondering how Ugandan Radio Stations' managers can fail to see his resourcefulness, yet Maputo University recently paid him $3500 to lecture its students on Finance Management.

“Our Lord Jesus Christ was right to prophesize that a hero is never recognized in his own birthplace," inside sources quoted Gashumba as fuming.

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Impeccable sources also intimated to us how Gashumba's lecturers have attracted the attention of several secondary schools administrators and are now paying him to give a pep talk to their students.

We have it on good authority that Gashumba charges between Shs500, 000 and Shs1, 000,000 to offer the lecturers to students. Among the schools where he has given his lecturers include Nateete Moslem High, Kings College Buddo, Naalya SS, and Masaka SS. 

He lambasted Radio Stations’ proprietors for emphasizing sports and politics, instead of telling Ugandans the dark side of government and themselves, politicians as well.

Government have in the past hounded MPs Betty Nambooze, Ssemujju Nganda, Kaddu Mukasa, John Ken Lukyamuzi from the CBS FM Radio, accusing the politicians of painting it in bad colours, in what independent observers see as a mission by the state to force the media into self-censorship.

 

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