I wanted a child, not love – Diane Peace talks motherhood

Ugandan sports journalist and social media personality Diane Peace Baagala has opened up about her decision to become a mother, a longing she had for a while that even overrode romantic attractions.

Baagala says she knew she wanted a child before she got pregnant and had no interest in starting a romantic relationship.

Speaking on Diaspora Connect after welcoming her baby girl, the broadcaster said she had been thinking about what would give her a lasting sense of peace and came to the conclusion that she wanted a child of her own.

“I was soul searching for something that would bring me ultimate peace and realised that it had to be someone that cannot forsake me. I realised it had to be my own child,” she said.

Baagala said she had three or four men in mind at the time. She was not dating any of them and said her feelings towards them did not guide the decision. She considered their intelligence, how they carried themselves and what each could bring to the table.

“I was not in love with any of them. It was about 3 or 4 of them. I weighed all of them and what each brought to the table, their intelligence and demeanor and I ended up with one,” she said.

She said she saw little reason to draw out the courtship when she already knew what she wanted. Her time with the man she chose was brief.

“We did not speak or date for long because I really needed a child. I did not make it hard for him to start chasing me around with romance. We never dated. We were together just briefly and I got pregnant,” she said.

Baagala kept the pregnancy private at first. Some of her friends had challenged her on whether she would get pregnant, and a few had put money on it. She waited until the third trimester before going back to collect.

When she did share her first baby bump photos on X in October, Baagala borrowed from the football vocabulary that her followers know her for. “INJURED OUT FOR A YEAR,” she wrote, using references to a foul, a referee and VAR to announce the pregnancy. Fans played along with referee memes and football jokes, alongside messages of congratulations.

Baagala made her name in sports reporting and football commentary, with work at CBS FM and BBS Television. She has also covered the FIFA World Cup and the Netball World Cup.

Now that her daughter has arrived, the broadcaster is making the most of her maternity leave. She said she is exclusively breastfeeding and plans to introduce formula when her leave ends in January.

“Motherhood is really nice,” she said.