A popular journalist has launched a scathing attack on veteran journalist Timothy Kalyegira, currently running the Kampala Express, a Facebook based publication for saying that embattled tycoon Dr. Sudhir Ruparelia owns the Matooke Republic publication.
Henry H. Ssali the founder and Managing Director of Matooke Republic Media Ltd who a decade ago also worked as an intern under Mr Kalyegira at the Namuwongo based Daily Monitor – put up a post expressing his dissatisfaction with the senior journalist’s envy of other people’s success.
The tipping point was when Mr Kalyegira suggested that Uganda’s first free newspaper had personal vendetta against him over Matooke’s two past publications; Philip Luswata’s dismissal of Kalyegira as an idiot over remarks he made about the film “Queen of Katwe” and then publishing allegations of sexual harassment against him by family friend Doreen Baingana.
This did not sit well with Henry Ssali and he took to social media to vent his anger adding that the award winning journalist who is a married man of many years was setting a bad precedence by being sexually obsessed with NTV’s sexy new anchor Sheila Nduhukire.
“One thing that intrigues me about you Mr Kalyegira; you have disdain for Ugandans calling them mediocre, simple minds, buffoons and generally not intellectuals. What is intellectual about the endless images of NTV’s Sheila Nduhukire that you publish day in day out on your newspaper (sorry I meant Facebook page). Your “paper” is supposed to be oozing intellectualism not Sheila Nduhukire’s photos,” Mr Ssali fired at Kalyegira.
a self-styled armchair critic
He said the manner in which Kalyegira insulted Uganda’s wealthiest man Dr. Sudhir Ruperalia by linking him to a small publication (Matooke Republic) that only circulates a few thousands of copies was totally unacceptable from a journalistic point of view.
Ssali also said that Kalyegira can not claim to satisfy his fantasies by calling The Kampala Express Facebook page a “newspaper” yet a few years back, the veteran journalist had a ‘ka shabby, cheap black and white A-4’ newsletter that he was personally vending at Shs5,000. Ssali further claimed that was tantamount to a con job and it was not surprising that he abandoned the venture after it received lukewarm reception.
Here is his full post.
By Patson Baraire
