The day I became deputy executive director of Uganda Media Centre
Katungye says Sometimes it is about preparation. Sometimes it is about growth. Sometimes it is about becoming the person capable of carrying the responsibility that comes with the opportunity.
Dennis Katungye
On 11th June 2026, I woke up to an avalanche of congratulatory messages. Friends, colleagues, former classmates, and business associates were all reaching out to congratulate me upon my alleged appointment as the new Deputy Executive Director of Uganda Media Centre by H.E. President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
The only problem was that I had not been appointed. The appointee was Mr. Katungi Dennis, according to the news. I am Katungye Dennis.
At first, I politely thanked people and clarified the mix-up. Then I started sending correction messages. Yet the congratulations kept coming. Many people would respond to my correction by congratulating me again, a clear indication that they had not read the clarification. It was both amusing and insightful.
Beyond the humour, the experience reminded me of how quickly information travels and how rarely many of us take the time to verify what we read. A familiar name, a quick glance at a headline, and assumptions quickly become accepted facts.
Ironically, my brief association with a State House appointment took me back to my only direct interaction with H.E. President Museveni.
The first and last time I personally engaged with the President was in 2009 during the launch of Patriotic Clubs in schools across Western Uganda at Maryhill High School.
As a young man with a deep interest in history, which I was teaching at that time in Maryhill High School, I was eager to contribute to the discussion. One of the topics that came up was the unification of Italy and Germany, and how those historic processes shaped the modern states we know today.
Confident in my understanding of the subject, I shared my thoughts. What followed was a masterclass in historical analysis.
For nearly thirty minutes, the President engaged me on the topic, carefully correcting my narrative at various stages and adding context that I had either overlooked or misunderstood. While I had considered myself reasonably knowledgeable about European history, I quickly realised that I was in the presence of someone whose grasp of historical events went far beyond the textbooks I had read.
That conversation has stayed with me for over seventeen years. It taught me that true learning begins when we accept that there is always more to know. It also reinforced the value of listening, especially when engaging with people whose experiences and knowledge span generations.
But the story did not end there.
Shortly after our discussion, one of the State House media personnel approached me and requested my name, telephone contact, and other personal details. To a young man surrounded by peers and delegates, it felt significant. In that moment, many people in the room seemed to envy what they perceived as a special opportunity unfolding before my eyes.
Naturally, my imagination took over.
For weeks and months afterwards, there was hardly a moment when my phone battery was allowed to die. Every incoming call was received with immense anticipation.
Every unfamiliar number carried the possibility that "the call" had finally arrived.
More often than not, however, it was someone completely unrelated calling about something entirely different.
The anticipated call never came.
Eventually, the excitement faded, the fantasy dissolved, and life moved on.
Yet looking back, I smile at that young man who carried so much hope. There was nothing wrong with him. He was simply ambitious. He believed that his moment was near.
Perhaps that is why the mistaken identity of June 11th amused me more than it surprised me. For a brief moment, history seemed to be playing one of its familiar tricks again.
While I was not the presumed appointee, I remain grateful for the goodwill shown by those who congratulated me and thankful for the lessons learned from an unforgettable conversation with the President.
Today, I ask myself if that mistaken identity was a sign or simply a coincidence!
Either way, the congratulatory messages not only reacted to the alleged appointment but also to the man I have become since that encounter with the Head of State; One that has been contributing to the transformation of our nation; One that has since enrolled on a lifetime of learning, growing and serving; One that has been taught that life is not always about immediate arrivals.
Sometimes it is about preparation. Sometimes it is about growth. Sometimes it is about becoming the person capable of carrying the responsibility that comes with the opportunity.
And more often than not, it is what we do for our nations than what our nations do for us. “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can for your country”. JFK
For God and my Country.
Dennis Katungye!
Kinetic HR & IT Consults
Uganda
0772476422
dkatungye@yahoo.com