Irish-born Annet Mollen is turning heads in Uganda after taking her childhood Luganda lessons to the television screen, where she now anchors Agabutikidde, Bukedde TV’s 7:00pm news bulletin.
Mollen has recently become a familiar face to viewers of the Vision Group-owned station, with clips of her confidently delivering news in Luganda attracting attention across Ugandan social media.
While her ability to speak the language has surprised some viewers, Mollen’s connection to Luganda dates back to her childhood.
“I was born in Ireland but I was raised in Uganda. I learnt Luganda in the schools I went to,” Mollen says.
She spent much of her childhood in boarding schools, where she was exposed to Luganda and the Ugandan way of life. Over the years, her command of the language became an important part of her ability to communicate with people.
“The language has made it easy for me to communicate with people and many get surprised when they see me speaking,” she says.
From Childhood Dream to Television
Mollen made her television debut on July 31, 2026, when Bukedde TV introduced her as a guest news anchor.
Her first appearance came during activities marking the 33rd coronation anniversary of Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II, with the main celebrations held at Watoto Church Bweyogerere.
For Mollen, stepping in front of the cameras was more than a professional opportunity; it was the realisation of a childhood dream.
“It had always been my dream to be on television and I always admired TV presenters,” she says. “I did not know that one day I would be one myself.”
Interestingly, she never expected that the Luganda she learnt as a child would eventually become part of her journey into television.
“I thank Bukedde TV for this opportunity and it is a great feeling, because I did not anticipate that speaking Luganda would bring me to this level of experience,” she says.
A Message About the Value of Luganda
Bukedde TV station manager Richard Kayiira Ssalongo says Mollen’s presence on the station carries a message that goes beyond television.
According to Kayiira, her decision to embrace Luganda demonstrates the ability of indigenous Ugandan languages to connect with people beyond the communities where they originated.
“She fell in love with the Luganda language and she embraced it,” Kayiira says.
He believes Mollen’s story should also encourage Ugandans to appreciate and preserve their indigenous languages.
“We send a message through her that Luganda is a rich and important language that is cherished by people in Uganda and beyond the national borders,” he says.
From learning Luganda in Ugandan schools as a child to reading prime-time news on one of the country’s leading local-language television stations, Annet Mollen’s journey has given viewers a different perspective on the reach and influence of Uganda’s indigenous languages.
