Are You Doing The Right Job?

I first met our Ronny Mich Egwang - Dr Mich somewhere at the start of the millennium when he was a presenter of Sanyu FM. As was the norm in those days, very few presenter used their real names so, I rightfully presumed that Dr Mitch was his radio name. Then somewhere down the road, I discover that the title of Dr was not self-given, but that it was a real title bestowed upon him by Makerere University. Yes, our Dr Mtich is a certified veterinarian and specialized in canines. While still passionate about animals, he had a passion for public speaking and that’s when his career as an emcee begun and radio began.

Mitch Egwang - Veterinarian turned broadcaster, Public Speaker

Then there is Gaetano Kaggwa.  He should have been a lawyer by now – perhaps with Kiwanuka and Karugire Co Advocates until he made that ‘fatal’ mistake in 2002 when he signed up for Big Brother Africa. Then he was a third year law student at Makerere University where he made it to the final day of the competition - finishing in fourth place ahead of Namibian representative Stefan Ludik but behind Botswana's Warona Setshwaelo.

That stint on BBA changed his life that out went his law course as he propelled into stardom where he hosted the television show Studio 53 on Mnet. He also played Abe Sakku on the TV series, Beneath The Lines. Currently, he co-hosts a breakfast show Gaetano & Lucky in the Morning at 91.3 Capital FM with Lucky Mbabazi as well as being a judge on East Africa’s Got Talent alongside Dj Makeda, Jeff Koinange and Vanessa Mdee.

 

Gaetano Kagwa - Would-Be-Lawyer Turned, Radio Presenter, Media Personality 

Dr Mitch and Gaetano are just two people that I know of who didn’t end up pursuing a career in what they studied. Many out there end up in university studying anything from law to banking, to nursing but end up doing something else. Some do something else because they figure they can earn more money doing that something else while for others, it a case of just losing interest in the course and branching out and trying something else.

Dr Mitch and Gaetano aside, there is also Stefano. Am not quite sure of his surname except, that it begins with K and that he is from the west and a staunch Mukiga at that. During the day he is a lawyer – that, I know for sure because I’ve seen him in his lawyer shirt – you know the one with the winged collar unless of course, he was going to a daytime party and hadn’t yet worn the bow tie.

All those who know Stefano feel that his talents as a lawyer are wasted and that instead, he should be doing standup comedy long with Pablo, Salvador and Teacher Mpamire at the National Theatre or amusing the crowds at some rally in the districts.

Hardly has Stefano taken his seat in his local bar that his comedy starts and the routine is always the same. He starts off: “There was a time when I met a certain man” or “there was a time when I was in a certain place..” His comedy tales always start off in Lukiga and then translates them into English. For maximum effect, he repeats the joke two or three times especially if he’s got the attention of James and Julie.

Stefano’s jokes border on the unbelievable and are often laced with sexual innuendo, proverbs and often poking fun at the Kikiga culture and how the Mukiga mind thinks. He tells the tale of how Mukiga Man took his dog to the market to sell it and when Would-Be-Customer asked if the dog barked, Mukiga Man responded: “Why would I sell it if it barked!” Okay in English it doesn’t sound hilarious but in Lukiga and laced with Stefano’s enyongezza (add on) it does get you laughing. 

Pictures: Chano8.com, Twitter.com    

.