When we meet up on a Sunday evening, Mildred Tuhaise is formally dressed in a grey knee-length dress and red blazer. She stands up when I arrive and greets me with a firm handshake.
In a deep and husky voice, she motions for me to sit down and we get down to talking about her life in and outside the newsroom.
What exactly do you do at NBS?
The human resource manager at the station accorded me the title, “On Air Talent,” which entails a lot of things including Newsachoring, Co-hosting The Morning Breeze show, News reporting, Features reporting as well as helping out with other kind of work that I may be assigned. I joined the station on April 15, 2015. Before that, I was working at WBS as a news anchor and co-host of the Morning Flavour show. I was there from 2012 until I left to join NBS.
Do you have a specific beat, area of interest that you cover?
Mostly politics. The beauty of this beat is that it is usually about the talk of town and it is what shapes our everyday life.
Political reporting is usually perceived as being too complicated for women. What are your thoughts on this perception?
The fear is probably because the field is dominated by male reporters who would not mind covering extremely severe events such as battle zones and riots. Women on the other hand, would probably be thinking of things such as what will happen to their shoes while reporting. Anyway, it is not as complicated as people think. It is just like the perception we used to have at school that mathematics is hard. All one needs to have is a clear understanding of society’s needs and the personalities involved. But also, a political journalist needs to read a lot and be critical as there is a lot of analysis involved.
What is the one thing about working on television that most people seem not to know?
It exposes one to many things and people. You can just be walking down the streets and someone out of the blue shouts Mildred! But that aside, society sometimes thinks that because we are working on television, we have money and need to live that high end life, which is not always the case. Working on television is just like any other job and does not need to change people.
Have you covered any of the candidates on the campaign trail?
No, I have not because I am more in the studio than the field.
What chances do you think Maureen Kyalya, the only female presidential candidate, has in becoming president?
Ugandans will decide that on February 18. However, Kyalya has an advantage because she is the woman and if it were to be a sympathy vote, it would overwhelmingly go to her.
And Joseph Mabirizi?
He has issues to address but it is just that people have continuously looked at him as unserious which is impacting on him negatively. Otherwise, he brings a lighter side to the politics.
Do you do anything else outside the media?
Oh yes! I do a bit of farming somewhere along Kayunga Road. I have a nursery bed that grows fruit tree seedlings and a few compound flowers. I have a great passion for agriculture because there is money in this sector as one is providing food to the nation.
I also have a non- profit organisation called Girls Incorporated Uganda. I was inspired to start the organisation a few years ago after seeing university girls tempted into bad situations such as bad relationships for money. The organisation empowers such girls with money-making skills, including agriculture, jewellery and craft making, among other things.
Away from work, are you dating?
Yes, I am but someone very private about his life. I do not have any children yet.
What do you do for fun?
I love dancing. Back in my school days, I was part of a dance group called Generation Dancers but I quit because of my hectic work schedule.
What is your advice to aspiring broadcast journalists?
Aggressiveness does it best. Nothing is impossible in life. Everything that is being done now has been done before. Many times, I have met young people saying that they want to be on television and to them, it is just about being on television but what difference are you going to bring on television since there are so many other faces already? What will make you stand out is the extra bit you put to your work.
So what do you feel makes you stand out?
I put a lot of time to my work. It is why I sometimes get to office as early as 5am and leave at 10pm. But also, my listening ability helps me analyse issues critically and make informed decisions.
Who is Mildred Tuhaise?
The 25-year-old is a 2013 Information Technology graduate from Makerere University.
She attended Asaba Primary School in Masindi District, Kawempe Mbogo Muslim Secondary School for O’Level and completed Senior Six at St Peters Secondary School, Naalya.
Her major breakthrough in media was at Top TV in 2008 when she joined to sit in for a news anchor on Maternity Leave.
She worked at the station up to 2012 when she joined WBS, which she left in April 2015 for NBS. Tuhaise regards herself as an ambitious go-getter, admitting that she can sometimes get too aggressive which most people do not take too kindly to.
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