Of Shaka Ssali’s legacy and what it should teach us all

By Badru Walusansa 

It's Chinua Achebe, who once said, "When an old man dies, a library burns to the ground." Indeed he was right, in Shaka Ssali we lost a moving library with a broad spectrum of knowledge.

As a young man with great enthusiasm about governance issues, I vividly reminisce, chancing upon Shaka Ssali's segment on Voice of America (VOA). 

That time it was on WBS TV before it later shifted to NBS.  

Shaka would, first of all, struck you with his calm demeanour despite his unmatched acumen on almost all Africa's governance troubles. For sure his calmness and moderation would make his guests comfortable unlike now when many show hosts endlessly clamour and compete for space with their panelists. 

Again, Shaka defined simplicity. Despite all his finesse, he came off as a simple man who never forgot his roots. He often referred to himself as the "Kabale kid." But where was the lie? True to himself, he was by far Kabale's greatest export to the international media. 

I was always fascinated by Shaka's signature intro on his show. "I am profoundly honoured and exceedingly humbled to host so and so." From this intro, one could only tell the degree of humility lived by Shaka. As if that was not enough, his outro would also not leave you the same. He often said, "Time isn't a good ally, get better, not bitter."

That was Shaka for you!

In great measure, Shaka served us his wit, composure, detailed research and analysis when he got a chance to. From hosting African Presidents, Ministers and Opposition politicians, one could see through Shaka's heartbeat for African Renaissance. 

This is because he vehemently despised corrupt African leaders and those with untamed appetite for power. 

Whenever duty called, Shaka never thought otherwise. I recall in 2016, when Uganda won a loto to subject all its Presidential candidates to a publically televised national debate, Shaka was one of the moderators of that debate alongside BBC's Allan Kasujja and Makerere's Senior Lecturer Dr. Nansozi Muwanga. In fact, many Ugandans couldn't hide their excitement seeing Shaka's name on the list of moderators.

Another remarkable incident about Shaka was when he finally had to hang up his boots on VOA. For many of his ardent followers, it was a show filled with mixed emotions.

The ever-calm Shaka received his flowers as many viewers across the continent called in to appreciate his selfless service. But because his shoes were wide to fit in, I am pretty sure VOA never ever remained the same following his departure. That shows you how colossal Shaka was. 

Finally, as Shaka Ssali departs this world, one can contentedly say he ran his race gracefully and left a huge impact on many of us. His life remains admirable and above all it should bestow hope to many “Kabale kids and beyond” that one can rise up from humble beginnings, make it in life but most importantly, stay modest, astute and productive like Shaka was.

The writer is a political analyst.