Secrets How Pastor Kiganda, Aide Edmund Kizito Fell Out Revealed
Secrets How Pastor Kiganda, Aide Edmund Kizito Fell Out Revealed
By Our Reporters
Veteran journalist Edmund Kizito (who also hosts Spectrum on Radio1) has revealed why he bitterly fell out with Ps David Kiganda whose Kingdom Media he has been overseeing as General Manager.
Kizito shocked the world on Sunday when he came out confirming he was the whistle blower behind Kiganda’s NSSF woes. NSSF MD Richard Byarugaba confirmed they are investigating Kiganda for non-remittance of NSSF statutory contributions deducted from staff salaries.
It emerged, having fallen out and bitterly resigned on Thursday, Kizito drove to NSSF where he gave all the details to Byarugaba who has since deployed a team led by Allan Agaba to bring Kiganda to book.
In an exclusive interview with Red Pepper, Kizito said Kiganda first approached him in January 2017. “But because I was very busy with many more profitable engagements, I declined. He then sent me people in April and this time round we agreed and took the job,” Kizito says adding whereas his original offer was to serve as a consultant daily working 3 hours, Kiganda stampeded him into taking a full time job. He then took a 6 months sabbatical with his other work place hoping he would in a few months re-organize the Kiganda media and move on.
“I met his board and they told me Kingdom radio and TV was doing very badly at the very top of the pyramid. I made a presentation on how we were to become number one and they were all excited.” Kizito says originally his ideas did wonders and marketing teams got big corporate clients come on board. However, Kiganda frustrated his progress when he became insecure, on seeing many managers were becoming attracted to him more than Kiganda, and started frustrating his ideas. “I proposed that welfare must improve. Staff must eat lunch, have office tea and water dispensers. Bp Kiganda refused saying there is no money,” recalls Kizito.
“I told him I’m a seasoned manager who knows basic management practices and he totally refused.” He says he was to become the overall person reporting to Kiganda as the proprietor in the Board. The man of God didn’t like this and ended up insisting to remain at least as MD while Kizito was pushed to serve as GM. Kiganda reneged on the promise to remain eyes on but hands off.
“He behaved unprofessionally and would just storm my meetings addressing people for 6 hours, which wasn’t productive. I insisted on conducting my daily work for the business and always gave him weekly reports. He was unhappy saying ‘oyagala kuwamba [you want to usurp my powers]’ and insisted on interfering. He recruited spies who would record my submissions during staff meetings. I insisted he shouldn’t waste our work time lecturing us for 6 hours and he hated me for that. He started saying he was told I’m very arrogant and I assured him I wouldn’t give a damn as long as I was doing the right thing.”
Kizito insisted that some key members of top management occasionally interact with BOD members, something Kiganda didn’t like. Kizito wanted to demonstrate the welfare demands weren’t his views but shared concerns of the entire management. This caused antagonism between the two. Kizito excluded staff he thought were recording his meetings for Kiganda something the pastor didn’t like. Kizito also returned some of the cameramen and graphic designers expelled before he joined, a thing Kiganda took as insubordination.
“I didn’t know these people but it was purely on merit grounds yet he took it to be personal attack on him as the owner,” Kizito says. Kizito also objected to the quality of programming arguing the TV/Radio programs were too local to attract corporate advertisement revenue and sponsorship. He came up with his own programs which Kiganda vehemently opposed. Instead he started accusing Kizito of incompetence arguing he was failing to bring the results he was recruited to.
“I told them look guys you can’t call me a failure when I’m not allowed to implement things I believe will work for the company. He kept insisting I must bring results as if I was a magician,” Kizito says. He adds he tried to appeal to Kiganda’s Zimbabwean wife Cindy who works as resident director and BOD member.
“She is well educated and polished unlike her husband. She saw my point and sided with me but got frustrated and stopped attending BOD meetings to concentrate on her women conference,” Kizito recalls.
He also says in the BOD, Kiganda prefers sycophants and low profile people whom he can easily manipulate and bull doze with his own fake ideas. He adds Kiganda was uncomfortable he continued fellowshipping with Kayanja’s RMC Church.
“He always prefers to have all his media employees become Church members but I resisted that and said I’m for RMC,” Kizito says. Each time he interacted with BOD members, Kizito shared his contempt for Kiganda’s crude management style and insisted the Bishop must get out of the business if its ratings are to improve.
Kizito also proposed abolition and merging of certain roles in order to increase staff productivity, welfare and remuneration. Kiganda, who claims to monthly spend Shs60m to keep his media on air, resisted when Kizito demanded to remain with only 51 staffers as opposed to the current 84. Kizito, who came shortly after news manager Eunice Nankwanga (formerly of NBS) had quit, proposed introduction of English news bulletin, something Kiganda furiously rejected.
He asked him where he was when he was starting his business. He also wrote a paper proposing “news content-deepening,” something Kiganda dismissed as meaningless. Kizito also protested why Kiganda always conducted meetings in Luganda, a thing the man of God didn’t take lightly. It was necessary because it’s what some BOD members understand.
There was a program called Abafere b’eKibuga which exposed conmen on Kingdom fm. It became so popular and the presenters overshadowed Kiganda who presents numerous programs covering a total of 5 hours a day. Kizito proposed Kiganda’s time be reduced and more such programs introduced. Kiganda was furious and felt Kizito’s proposal aimed at getting him off air into obscurity.
Spying activities on Kizito intensified with more staffers deployed to record his utterances. To show supremacy, Kiganda required Kizito to regularly come to his office, something the GM refused as unnecessary.
“I told him I won’t. It’s enough to give you weekly reports and one at the month’s end,” Kizito told us. Kizito wonders why no other pastors preach on Kingdom fm yet Serwadda’s Impact has other pastors. This too offended Kiganda and complicated their relationship. Kizito also one time confronted Kiganda protesting his informality and reliance on rumors. Kiganda started complaining why managers listened to Kizito more and regularly rebuked them: “you are no longer on my side.”
Kizito also accused Kiganda of being very petty. At some point BOD chairman Isaac Kasule sided with Kizito’s views and ignored Kiganda’s and the Bishop told him “Mr. Chairman I can see you are no longer on my side.” Kizito also protested the care-free attitude with which Kiganda handled pay slips which cleaners would photograph from his office and share on whatsapp. Kizito also insisted on boosting Ag news manager 22 year old Joel Nasaka on grounds she is overworked.
He brought a more senior person but Kiganda refused to recruit him. Kizito also protested why staffs have no appointment letters, a thing Kiganda protested. He accused Kizito of failing to develop job descriptions on which he would base to draft appointment letters. Kizito also resented the fact that each time as GM he told Brenda Kisakye the accountant what should be done, she simply answered “I consulted the MD.”
GM also opposed paying reporters Shs0.3m monthly saying it’s too little and increased it to Shs0.4m. Kiganda was unhappy and felt undermined. HR Christine Kirabo sided with Kizito, a thing Kiganda didn’t like. Kizito also shifted staff meetings from Kiganda’s kingdom tower building to his GM office. He also rebuked Kiganda for calling presenters while on air to advise on how to present better. This only created more animosity.
Each time he got reports Kiganda was planning to fire him, Kizito returned with a resignation letter the following morning effectively upstaging Kiganda. Kiganda was also unhappy GM Kizito omitted his son Philip Kisakye while increasing staff salaries. Kisakye is a reporter and Kizito argued he was already earning well at Shs0.6m monthly. One time Kiganda suggested to pray for Kizito to get favor before big politicians like Museveni, a thing he declined saying “I have interviewed Presidents before and I don’t need such prayers.”
Kizito also protested the manner of recruitment whereby Kiganda preferred his church members and Kizito wanted open advertising. The fate of office messenger too caused problems. She lives in Buloba/Bulenga and Kiganda pays her Shs0.1m monthly-she sometimes sleeps in Kiganda’s church for lack of transport.
Kizito demanded higher pay for her, a thing that annoyed Kiganda. Kizito also protested why Kingdom media pays for 1kilo watt to UCC but uses 2kw for its transmission. Bp Kiganda dismissed him as a saboteur and Kizito says after NSSF, he will be whistle blowing this information to UCC next.
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