By Jimmy Siyasa
Journalists are trained to be messengers of news. Not many of them are the news. Uganda Christian University (UCU) graduate Lynn Komugisha was both in 2020. The attention was on her and her reporting of non-communicable diseases (NCD). 

The East Africa Media on NCDs Awards (EAMNA Awards) 2021 has acknowledged Komugisha as the best NCD journalist at the national level – Uganda. Her reporting was recognized as exemplary for highlighting the dangers and means of prevention for non-communicable diseases. Such diseases as diabetes, cancers, strokes and heart attacks cause more deaths globally than conditions that are contagious. 

Komugisha told stories of Ugandans suffering from NCDs such as diabetes. Through these stories, she called upon relevant stakeholders to sensitize masses about diabetes. Her reporting covered the dangers of this condition that keeps the body from processing food properly, its causes, and what individuals and communities can do to support persons suffering from diabetes. 

Her media message stood out above other entries from the region that includes Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi and Zanzibar.

Komugisha, who holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication degree from 2010, says health reporting is her passion. In 2020, when understanding that people with underlying, non-communicable health conditions were more at risk of Covid-19, she reported it. 

“The award encourages me to do more. An award is not only an appreciation for the work you are putting in. It is also a reminder that you can do more,” she commented from her office at Vision Group, the largest media conglomerate in Uganda. 

At Vision Group, Komugisha hosts a TV show on Urban TV, reads news on TV, as well as on Vision Group’s radio, XFM. She reads and reports the news. 

Komugisha is driven by both her passion for the news and a strong work ethic. She gets up at 3 a.m. and is at work two hours later, researching and preparing copy for the Urban TV show that she hosts. At 6 a.m., Komugisha is brainstorming with her producer. Some days, she anchors radio news on 94.8 XFM. She eventually retires for the day at 7:30 p.m. 

Komugisha’s intense schedule pushes much of her role as a mom to an eight-year-old son to the weekend. 

“Sometimes my son is not with me, so I get to see him whenever I really can. But I make time over the weekend to see him, my family and the people I care about,” she says.

While she appears tough on the surface, Komugisha has an easygoing and genial side. She says the tough demeanor is a shield she puts on herself to ward off some men who harass her, including male engagement in catcalling. 

When asked how she is able to manage the pressure of working in a media house, Komugisha points to the sky to signal divine power. Every morning, when she wakes up, prayer is among the to-do items on her list. 

“My faith in Christ, is my grounding force, for every move I make, He is my guide and the only one that keeps me on the right track,” she said, adding, “I am grateful to Uganda Christian University because it cemented my faith in Christ. I believe it nurtured me into the faithful woman that I am.” 

Komugisha attended St. Hellen’s Primary School in Mbarara, a district in western Uganda, before joining Masheruka Girls Secondary School for secondary education. Masheruka is found in Sheema district, also located in western Uganda. 

Komugisha says she was advised to pursue journalism at UCU by one of her former high school teachers who believed she had great potential in that profession.

By the time she acquired her undergraduate degree in 2010, Komugisha had worked as an intern or volunteer at least at four radio stations in Uganda – Spirit FM (2007), FM J, Kampala FM and Capital FM. Upon graduation, she worked at Vision Radio, located in Mbarara, her hometown, for four years, after which she quit to join Vision Group. 

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