The panel of John Vianney Nsimbe, Brian Tuka, and Albert Ahabwe provided insightful commentary on the candidates’ statements, and also chipped in with questions of their own.
This milestone is fast becoming part of NBS Sport‘s DNA in their drive to “Inform to Transform,” and it is no wonder seeing as debates are a common occurrence at the Next Media Park. NBS Sport’s sister station, current affairs TV station NBS TV, hosted Presidential Debates ahead of the 2021 General Elections that the respective parties’ General Secretaries attended in November 2020.
They also hosted debates ahead of Member of Parliament by-elections in Omoro, Soroti East, and Serere, among others.
It shall also be remembered that NBS Sport hosted a similar live presidential debate ahead of the Uganda Sports Press Association (USPA) Presidential Election in November 2022, where candidates Leon Ssenyange and current president Abdul-Nasser Lubega faced off.
“At NBS Sport, we believe that informed decisions are the cornerstone of progress, and debates like these provide a platform for our viewers to make informed decisions. By hosting these debates, we are fulfilling our commitment to Inform to Transform,” said NBS Sport General Manager, Joseph Kigozi. Kigozi added, “We are proud to be the go-to destination for comprehensive sports coverage and insightful commentary, and we will continue to provide our viewers with top-notch content that keeps them informed and engaged.”
During the FUBA presidential debate on Monday, Gumisiriza expressed his vision of taking the games to the fans to create a larger fan base. He also praised Nam Blazers for their outstanding performance in selling the NBL finals for the last season. Gumisiriza emphasised the need for more teams in the lower leagues feeding the national league to make it more competitive.
On the other hand, Sserunjogi talked about how their decision to broadcast the games on NBS Sport was a key highlight for his COVID-19-affected tenure, having helped the federation gain more partners, all of them expected to take up sponsorship packages for the upcoming season.
He also commended City Oilers for holding the mantle for years and talked about some of the other achievements they had made during their four years in office, such as the league also registering and maintaining Tusker Lite as a National Basketball League 4-year sponsor, acquiring Gofere as a National Teams’ kit sponsor, and the Silverbacks and Gazelles performances despite little-to-no Government support, among others.
The candidates also had some disagreements on specific issues. Gumisiriza proposed using various venues to host games, while Sserunjogi believed that some venues needed to be fit to host games, citing JKL Dolphins‘ venue as an example. Sserunjogi also criticized Gumisiriza’s fanciful thinking and stated that some of the venues he was suggesting were not fit to host games, as it would kill the game instead.
With the Uganda Rugby Union also set to go to polls within the next two months or so, viewers have already highlighted their expectations of a debate showdown in an anticipated race between incumbent Godwin Kayangwe and former Kyadondo Rugby Club Vice Chairman and Uganda Rugby Union Local Organizing Committee Chairman, Phillip Kiboijana.
Next Communication Limited