By Pauline Luba
In the quiet, early hours of Boston, Mass., Moses Mukitale begins his day with a prayer. It’s a routine not just born out of habit but a conviction that has shaped every chapter of his life — from the hope-filled lecture rooms of Uganda Christian University (UCU) to the intense newsrooms of Uganda’s WBS TV, the refugee camps of South Sudan and now the heart of ministry in the United States.
Mukitale, a UCU journalism alumnus, first found his spark in high school, reading the news to fellow students at school assemblies and nurtured it into a profession at UCU, where he graduated with a Bachelors in Mass communication in 2011. While still a student, he secured a position at WBS TV, now defunct, as a news anchor and reporter.
“It was easy to get into WBS TV because UCU students were respected and highly sought after,” he says.
“WBS was the turning point for me to do outstanding work,” he said from the USA. Mukitale’s diligence and passion saw him quickly rise through the ranks, eventually becoming a senior reporter.
Because of his outstanding work at the TV station, Mukitale was awarded an International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) fellowship by the U.S. Embassy in Kampala in 2013. He spent three weeks in the United States, studying and learning about religious pluralism.
At WBS TV, he also hosted a daily morning show called “The Morning Flavor” alongside his UCU mass communication classmate Joseph Sabiti and another colleague, Mildred Tuhaise. The show tackled politics and current affairs.
But he says the grind was unrelenting with long hours, low pay and a growing void that journalism alone could not fill.
A chance-conversation changed everything. A friend mentioned humanitarian work, and curiosity led him to a new path. Mukitale joined World Vision Uganda, where he spent six years in humanitarian work across Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan. It was a slower pace compared to the newsroom, but profoundly fulfilling.
“I do love children,” he noted, reflecting on his own childhood growing up in a polygamous home in Buliisa and Masindi – districts in western Uganda. One of 16 siblings, he recalls the instability and hardship of his early life — his parents never sitting together, moving through five different primary schools, and a mother who struggled to make ends meet in a turbulent marriage.
“I felt for my mother,” he said. “She would send us to schools owned by her friends, just to make sure we had an education.”
Mukitale’s mother worked as the senior records officer in-charge of registry in the Government of Uganda’s Ministry of Lands whereas his father was a businessman in his home district of Buliisa.
Through sheer resilience and the generosity of relatives and friends, the UCU alum completed his education and carved out a life many would find enviable. His journalism career, albeit intense, led to international exposure, a scholarship and assignments in difficult terrains. But it was at World Vision, where prayer began each workday, that Mukitale found a spiritual rhythm that spoke to his soul.
“I first fell in love with Christ at UCU,” he recalls. “Henry Luke Orombi would come on Fridays and really speak from his heart.”
It was here that he began to see journalism not just as a job, but as a calling to tell stories that matter. Orombi was the archbishop of the Church of Uganda from 2004 to 2012. The reigning archbishop of the Church of Uganda is usually the chancellor of UCU.
“As a humanitarian, I am proud to have contributed to the improvement of Uganda,” Mukitale said. “I met a farmer from Australia who we enlisted to construct hospitals in northern Uganda because we showed him the need on the ground.”
As the communications coordinator at World Vision International Uganda, Mukitale was placed in charge of projects estimated at over $75 million. He spearheaded refugee-response programs in West Nile and communications responses for South Sudanese.
Mukitale relocated to Boston, USA, where he expanded his personal horizons. He is an ordained minister with a registered ministry — World Revival Centre Church. He runs a transportation business, writes on his personal blog and occasionally still reports on international issues for NTV Uganda, covering social unrest and politics in both the USA and Somalia.
His day begins at 6 a.m. with prayer, followed by business operations and ministry work. He’s currently pursuing two master’s degrees — one in marketing and another in Christian ministry.
“I paused the second one for time to complete the first,” he notes, saying his target is to graduate next year. Mukitale’s ministry often preaches the gospel in different corners of the country, including at Harvard University.
Despite all this, the transition to the United States was not seamless. Mukitale was initially invited by his uncle living in the states to relocate. Unfortunately, his uncle passed on shortly after his arrival in the United States, forcing him to adapt to life in a new country by himself.
Even with his experience and qualifications, getting a job in his field proved difficult.
“It was a big culture shock,” he confesses. “Even though I had everything, you could feel it in the interviews. They don’t tell you directly, but you get the intuition.”
He says he was often snubbed for news reporting jobs due to his Ugandan accent. He also grappled with the realization that his Ugandan education, despite its rigor, was undervalued in the American job market.
Yet, this only deepened Mukitale’s commitment to ministry. The ministry today includes college outreach at Harvard University, clothing drives for the homeless and community prayer meetings.
To young Ugandans, especially those feeling stuck or pressured by societal expectations, Mukitale offers advice: “Ask God. You need to hear God for yourself. Too many people do courses for their parents, then regret it. Pray to God and listen to what He is saying.”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
To support UCU programs, students, activities and services, go to www.ugandapartners.org and click on the “donate” button, or contact UCU Partners Executive Director, Mark Bartels, at m.t.bartels@ugandapartners.org.
Also, follow us on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.