Irish national Annet Mollen turns childhood Luganda lessons into Bukedde TV career

An Irish woman is attracting attention on Ugandan social media for something few viewers expected: presenting a Luganda news bulletin with ease on Bukedde TV.

Over the past few months, Annet Mollen has become a familiar face on Agabutikidde, the station's 7:00pm news bulletin with clips of her reading the news drawing fascination from viewers intrigued by her command of Luganda.

Her appearance may surprise some viewers, but Mollen's relationship with the language stretches back to 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 from middle class, giving her years of exposure to Luganda.

That upbringing means conversations can sometimes produce surprised reactions from Ugandans who do not expect her to understand, let alone speak, the language.

“The language has made it easy for me to communicate with people and many get surprised when they see me speaking,” she says.

Her television debut was on July 31, 2026, when Vision Group-owned Bukedde TV unveiled her as a guest news anchor.

Her first bulletin coincided with activities marking the 33rd coronation anniversary of Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II. The main celebrations were held at Watoto Church Bweyogerere.

Mollen says the opportunity also fulfilled a childhood ambition.

“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.”

She says she never imagined that learning Luganda would eventually provide her route onto 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.

Bukedde TV station manager Richard Kayiira Ssalongo says Mollen's recruitment was also intended to carry a wider message about indigenous languages.

He says her ability to embrace Luganda despite being an Irish national demonstrates that local languages can attract speakers beyond the communities where they originated.

“She fell in love with the Luganda language and she embraced it,” Kayiira says.

He argues that Luganda's reach beyond Uganda should encourage native speakers to value and preserve it.

“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.