By Irene Best Nyapendi
As a young boy in Entebbe, Uganda, David Ijjo’s eyes would be glued to the television screen, captivated by the faces and voices that filled the frame. He did not just watch TV. He imitated the voices he heard, often recreating news broadcasts in his living room.
“I was so intrigued seeing someone in a TV frame,” Ijo recalls. “I wondered how that was possible; immediately, I decided that was the career path I wanted to take.”
His parents recognized his passion and guided him toward journalism. They explained to him that the magic of television was crafted by media practitioners. That revelation set the course for a remarkable journey, one that has seen Ijjo rise from a curious child to a fearless journalist.
Growing up, Ijjo thought journalism was all about TV glamour. But as he matured, he discovered that it was far more than bright lights and cameras; it was a calling to inform the masses, challenge the people in power and uplift communities. That realization deepened when he enrolled at Uganda Christian University (UCU) in 2019 to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, Media, and Communication.
UCU was no random choice.
“Many consultations I made pointed to UCU as the best in teaching journalism,” Ijo says. “Most of the media players I admired were UCU alumni, which cemented my decision.”
At UCU, he found a practical, hands-on learning environment that prepared him for the world of work. With access to a studio, television, newspaper, and equipment, Ijjo worked on his craft under the guidance of dedicated lecturers. By the time he graduated in 2022, he was ready to make his mark.
Ijjo’s big break came through the Media Challenge Initiative, an annual inter-university challenge for journalism students as contestants and editors/managers as judges. That challenge opened the door to an internship at NBS-TV, one of the television stations in Uganda.
As an intern, he dived headfirst into the deep end, reporting on everything, from politics and social justice to crime and religion. His versatility and work ethic didn’t go unnoticed. After his internship, NBS retained him as a sub-editor for their online newspaper, Nile Post. For Ijjo, this was a milestone.
“Working at NBS was enough for me to say I was living my dream,” he says.
But Ijjo’s ambition did not stop there. In August 2024, he joined NTV, another Ugandan broadcaster, as a political reporter. Before that, he sharpened his investigative skills through a journalism fellowship at the African Institute for Investigative Journalism (AAIJ). It was during this time that Ijjo tackled one of his most impactful stories: an investigation into the controversial Akon City project.
In 2020, Senegalese-American musician Akon announced plans to build a futuristic city in Mukono, Uganda, after the government allocated land for the project. Two years later, with little progress to show, Ijjo and his editor at NTV decided to dig deeper. Traveling to Mukono, he uncovered that residents faced threats of eviction, and those compensated received as little as sh500,000 (about $130 USD).
The investigation exposed impunity and gave a voice to the people of Mukono. For Ijjo, the impact was its own reward.
“When stories like that cause panic, it means they have had impact, and that the powerful are held to account,” the 25-year-old says. “That’s my reward as a journalist.”
The experience strengthened his belief that journalism is about serving the public, not personal gain.
His work isn’t without challenges, though. On March 13, 2025, while covering a by-election for a parliamentary seat in Kampala, he and other journalists were brutally attacked by security agencies. Narrowly escaping arrest, Ijjo fled the scene after receiving beatings.
He urges aspiring journalists not to wait until graduation to start practicing the trade, but rather to utilize the equipment they have, and use social media to practice because employers want people with experience.
In a country where political interests often overshadow the rights of ordinary citizens, he remains committed to holding power to account. He explains that politics is a game of interests, and that a majority of Ugandans are affected by the decisions made by the few politicians.
“As citizens, we have the right to good governance, democracy, and freedom of speech,” Ijjo said. “My job is to ensure those rights are upheld.”
Ijjo had his primary education at Entebbe Christian School and later joined Apostles of Jesus Seminary in Moroto district for his secondary education.
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