Stuart Mutebi: The passing of Uganda’s greatest of all football commentary

On Saturday afternoon, a dark cloud hovered the country following the demise of Stuart Mutebi Kiwanuka, a popular Ugandan sports commentator.

The journalist died from stroke, an illness he suffered almost four years back and sidelined him from his radio job at government owned Star FM.

Believed by many as the best football commentator this land has ever produced, Mutebi ranked high up there in his trade.

Begun his trade at the then Radio Uganda (Currently UBC Radio), Mutebi would later join Buganda owned Central Broadcasting Service(CBS) that had hit the airwaves in Uganda and here, he presented programs like Akaati k'emizannyo, Eriiso ly’emizannyo, local sports commentary as well as the  popular morning show, Bwakedde Mpulira together with Peter Ssematimba and Gloria Kamba.

Mutebi also commentated at the Bika football tournament among other local sports and everywhere, his  authoritative voice stood out.

He became a household name at the Buganda owned radio that in 2001 when Peter Ssematimba left to start his own, Super Fm, Stuart Mutebi was among the faces of the new radio in town.

Mutebi would later go on to build a formidable sports crew  at Super after being joined by Francis Kyeyune from Simba FM but had an earlier stint at Radio Uganda, Ruben Luyombo and one Jjuuko Walugembe.

The “super sports team” as they called themselves gave other radios a run for their money, especially when it came to sports and football commentating.

The sports crew grew Super FM's listenership from strength to strength and it is no secret that when they left in 2015, the listenership dwindled.

Fellow journalist, Aldrine Nsubuga attested to this.

“At Super FM he turned live football commentary into an art-form,”Nsubuga said.

However, in 2015, the trio of Stuart, Francis and Ruben left Lubaga based Super FM to later join Star FM.

He also had a stint while presenting sports at NBS Television.

According to Ruben Luyombo, a sports sports analyst who also worked with Mutebi for 20 years , the deceased was a gem.

“ I have worked with him for the last 20 years since 2003 at Super FM but way before that, we were interacting while he was already in the media and I was still a young boy looking upon him. He was one  who wished good for people and gave opportunities to youngsters,” Luyombo said in an interview with the Nile Post.

Paid by passion

Luyombo described Stuart Mutebi as one who was paid by his passion for sports, right from his hey days of playing football for City Cubs, the junior team for now KCCA FC.

“He was very hardworking and can be described as one paid by passion. He had passion, commitment and desire. He was your boss but at times he would beg you to do something. For instance we would commentate football and in the middle of the season, you decide not to air a certain game but he would tell you, “Ruben, we are a sports radio. This is the job we chose to bring football to our people; we can’t forsake them. Let us give our all to deliver.”

Luyombo described Mutebi as a “hot fuse” but was quick to note that this wouldn’t last long.

“He would get angry, tell it to you and immediately ends at that.  Every where I worked with his as my boss, he would fight for his fellow workers’ rights. He was a voice of the voiceless wherever he was. He would even go way above to work more than his juniors.”

Greatest of all time

According to Luyombo, Mutebi was so knowledgeable about sports partly because he loved football as a passion that he played at City Cubs and later at his home area in Kireka but also had a sting at playing boxing but also covered it as a journalist.

Ruben , as he is commonly referred to in the sports circles says Mutebi was also knowledgeable about netball and rugby, sports disciplines he equally loved.

“Even a game you would expect him to be less knowledgeable about, he covered them well. Much as he would not interpret it very well, he would flow very well and would cover it willingly.”

“He would pay attention to detail and would always want to come out as the best.”

During his sports shows including commentating, he would dedicate time to give a piece of advice about affairs he thought were not moving well.

Above all, he loved his home area "Kasokoso" so much that he called himself "MunnaKasoko" literally translated as one from Kasoko.

To this, whenever he was commentating during football games, both local and foreign, to drive the point home, especially in referring to which goal post a certain team was scoring in, Mutebi would refer to one of the goals in Namboole stadium facing his home area, Kasoko.

This would give a clear picture of his listener during a football match.

Fellow journalist, Aldrine Nsubuga described Mutebi as one who loved his job.

“At a time when Sports Journalists dis-respected their trade with the way they dressed, Stuart Mutebi Kiwanuka (RIP) cut an image that made him stand out like a beacon – always smart. He loved his trade! One of the proudest men I knew who loved their job like it was the only thing he had in life. It doesn’t matter which radio he worked at, he demonstrated the same passion,” Nsubuga said in a facebook post.

Among some of the people mentored by Stuart Mutebi, especially while at Super FM is his namesake, Stuart Kimera whose commentating makes one mistake him for Mutebi.

Ismael Kiyonga, another sports journalist who looked up to Mutebi described him as an inspiration to everyone in the trade.

Stuart Mutebi was a big inspiration to many sports journalists especially those in the football commentary trade at the moment. For the young generation like us, we missed out on Arereng but Stuart, Kyeyune and Ruben Luyombo while at Super FM were the guys most wanted to be,” Kiyonga said.

Smart in all ways, disciplined and follower of ethics to the dot is another description that Kiyonga gave Mutebi.

“He was never involved in scandals but stood with what was the truth. In my S6 vacation, we used to meet and share a word or two almost every day on his way to Super FM. I was then working with my uncle at Mukwano arcade and we would give him updates of our local tournaments and he aired them out without any hesitation. He was a top guy who is going to be missed.”

Describing him as the greatest of all time, Ruben Luyombo said Stuart Mutebi was an embodiment of  perfection.

“I think in sports journalism, Stuart, Andrew Luwandagga, Hassan Badru Zziwa and Mark Ssali are the greatest of all time but  above all, Stuart was an exception.”

Death

Mutebi suffered a stroke almost four years ago that left him bedridden for all this time.

The ailment also led to his memory loss but according to relatives, he had steadily recovered by the time he passed on .

He will be laid to rest on Tuesday at Kireka, Kasokoso.