By Spy Reporter
Kampala: Pastor Robert Senyonga of Christian Life Church, Kampala, is accused by many of his former employees of allegedly refusing to pay them salary arrears spurning over several months.
Under his Christian Life Ministries Church, Senyonga owns Top Media Group, under which he runs Top TV and various FM radio stations across the country. However, many of his current and former employees are crying foul, accusing him of allegedly exploiting them by making them work for years without pay. The aggrieved employees also allege that whenever they demand for salaries, Senyonga comes up with trumped up charges, before he fires them under shady circumstances, amidst intimidation.
There are so many Ugandan journalists who have been subjected to Senyonga’s exploitative tendencies but chose to remain silent after several trials to seek redress hit a deadlock. However, a one Hannington Kato, who narrated to us his painful ordeal has decided to go bare knacles with the man of God,after years of painful silence.
Kato said he worked with Senyonga’s Top Media group in different capacities up to the level of Station Manager but he fell out with him after he refused to pay him his salary arreas amounting to over Shs300M. Here is what he says;
“I started working for Senyonga in 2004 at Top Radio in Kampala. After some time he sent me to Top Radio in Masaka, which was in a terrible state. However, I worked so hard to take it to the heights, improved the presentation by training all the presenters and marketeers until the radio was ranked as the best in the sub-region.
In 2011 he transferred me from Top Radio Masaka to Mbarara, where I worked before UBC and UCC officials closed the office due to power theft and failure to pay UCC fees by Senyonga himself.
He then sent me back to Top Radio Masaka where I worked till Mid July 2012 and later took me back to Top Radio Mbarara. While in Mbarara, I even looked for and quoted land at Mwizi Hill for him to buy, such that Top Radio could set up a mast and station there, instead of renting a two-room office at Adit House along High Street in Mbarara town. He accepted to buy the land and later travelled with Pr. Songa Christopher and Pr. Kigonya Godfrey, who later paid for it.
His Dark Side Starts To Officially Open Up
Around July or August 2013; he came to Mbarara with Pr. Songa Christopher and Pr. Kigonya Godfrey, his assistant Pastors by then, who he gave Shs9m. He told me to go with them and pay for the Mast land I had spotted at Mwizi Hill. We did as he ordered.
But when I returned, I found when he had given my managerial office to my junior Juliana Katushabe, then paid my juniors 50% but made them sign for 100%. My desk drawers had been emptied by one Pastor Nkoyoyo, who had taken all my books of accounts and other vital documents.
He gave me Shs30,000 and told me that he was transferring me to manage Top Radio Mbale 104.9Fm.
I accepted. But the next day as I prepared to go, I felt at heart something telling me not to go. I informed him through email but he never replied. I called his phone in vain. I called it for several days until one day when he answered and I told him I wanted to go back to my office in Mbarara, but he refused.
Senyonga Refuses To Pay Me
Meanwhile, all that time he had never paid me my full monthly salary, yet we had agreed that I would take 40% of the revenue accrued from Top Radio Mbabara. He also still owed me money I had worked for at Top Radio Masaka.
So I often sent him emails demanding my salary and rent since he was the one that had employed and sent me to Mbarara. But he never replied the emails. One day I travelled to Kampala to ask for my money. I think in August 2013 but he was only able to see me in September. When we met, he instead told me that I had stolen over Shs50m from the company and that he would make my life miserable! This was the biggest shock of my life. I was surprised, I told him to prove his allegations, so he said he was to hand over the books of accounts to an auditor called Diana.
The Auditor And Senyonga’s Self Written Letter
An auditor from Orange called Diana (079079066..) started auditing the books. Meanwhile, Senyonga wrote a letter and kept editing it whenever he felt changes were needed. It partly read thus;”………I (Hannington Kato) broke the company rules…. at this time the company is going through the books of accounts….when a balanced audit report comes out, the company will be in position to pay my balance and decide on how to move forward……..if it proves me wrong, I will be liable to pay back the company….” He made me sign the letter before receiving Shs thirty million. Soon the audit report was out and it exonerated me. I went back and asked him to pay me but he told me to go and get the report from the auditor. But Diana told me she had given him the report.
The Case
When he refused to pay me, I went to the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) labor department and filed a complaint. They invited him several times but he refused. One day he wrote to KCCA telling them that my books had loop holes. I told KCCA to invite him but he still refused.
Thereafter, my case was forwarded to the Ministry of Gender labor and Social Development. They invited him but still he refused and never wrote back. They referred me to the Industrial Court but up to 2014 it was not active, I had to suffer locally since the case had hit a dead end. But I narrated my story to one of the local dailies and when he saw it, he called me and paid only Shs2m in six installments.
Industrial Court
In 2017 I opened up a case number 129/2017. He was summoned to appear in court in vain. After some time around February 2018 he sent lawyers. My money had accumulated 33.7m by August 2017 at 40% per income per month as he had promised me in December 2011.
Although they had stolen the books I luckily landed on a paper that had some income information-indicating that I was posting to the company account Shs11.1m monthly, so my commission was Shs4.44m, plus Shs600,00 Salary per month, Shs250,000/= rent per and Shs200,000 monthly facilitation. That money also included unpaid monies for 2018 and 2019, which is more than 13m, plus Lawyers fees of Shs150m and unpaid NSSF deductions since 2004.
Senyonga’s Lies
When he sent lawyers to the Industrial, I was shocked when they said, on his behalf, that ‘Senyonga Jackson does not know -top media group.’ No one even told what I could do next at court. Later I went to someone with lots of court experience who advised me to file another case against Senyonga for failing to pay my money amounting to over Shs20,000,000 and he advised me on how to deal with the case; but it was late.
Senyonga Forces Me To Withdraw Case
One 9th April 2018 he called me through the Public Relations Manager of Top Media Margret Serunjoji. On the 10th April 2018 while in the PRO’s office he kept on instructing her on what to tell me. He told her to tell me to receive Shs3m, withdraw the case and thereafter we discuss on returning to my job as Manager.
I accepted and received the Shs3m after signing document on which they had indicated that I was a volunteer of top media group, not an employee (remember they had denied the company name before court but now they made me sign).
I accepted because he had promised me my job back and I trusted him because he is a pastor, not knowing he would turn around.
The Meeting/Threatening Email
When I went back several times to meet him about the job, he kept me seated from 11:00Am-8:00pm without seeing him. I kept sending emails until one day when he replied thus;
If you ever send me any more mails you will have committed a crime….Doors closed years…..”
No Contracts/ About 100 Have Been Cheated By Him
Since 1998 when he launched Top Radio and Top Television to date personally I have not seen genuine contracts signed between Senyonga as the Director of Top Media Group and his employees.
Cheated Employees Who Ran Away
These are some of the workers who quit his company over nonpayment after working for 89.6 Top Radio Kamapala, Top Television and Kampala FM 99.6;
1-Kwezi Robinson now works at Super 88.5fm as a news anchor.
2-Roger Mugisha formerly at KFM
3-Shawn Kimuli now at Capital FM
4-Basajja Mivule Sewakiryanga formerly at Akaboozi Kubiri
5-Mildred Tuhaise now at NBS TV.
6-David Wills Sekiranda
7-Katongole Moses
8-MCkenzie now at Urban TV.
9-Lady Bizo now at Spirit FM
Those who quit Top Radio 96.2 Fm Masaka
1-David Lwanga
2-Nduga Davis
3-Omulangira Salim
4-Rashidha Namazzi
5-Kaliyo Paul
6-Frank Bwekumbule
7-Ntege David
8-Elvis Kisakye
9-Walusimbi
10-Adrian Nagasha.
11-Rose Nattunda
12-Wilberforce Matovu
13-Kakinda Adrian
14-Florence Tumupende now at Bukedde as a reporter of Lwengo and Masaka.
15-Jude Bwende
16-Omumbejja Nakawesi
17-Ssonko Jude
18-Katongole Omutongole and
19-Muyanja Sojiki,
Others are;
TOP RADIO 91.8fm
1-Joselyn Kateegaya
2-Mugarura Andrew
3-Joseph Mucunguzi
4-Nahabwa Florah
5-Pheona Muyambi
6-Kangume Floremce
7-Muhereza Rogers
Some Of Those He Paid 50% But Made Them Sign For 100%
1-Isaiah Orimwesiga
2-David Lwanga (he followed me to Mbarara from Masaka)
3-John Ariho
4-Recheal Mafaranga
5-Kyarimpa Moureen and
6-Joseph Biguru.
Our attempts to get a comment from Pastor Senyonga were futile as he couldn’t be reached on his known phone number. Top Media Group Manager Dunstan Busulwa gave us the number of Senyonga’s aide, a one Aggrey, who when called by our reporter on phone, said “Don’t worry. I am going to inquire about the matter and I will get back to you.” We waited for several hours to hear from him in vain. By the time we filed this report he was no longer picking our repeated calls.
