TAKEAWAYS

• Mary Luswata admitted she went too far when discussing Juliana’s loss.
• She said motherhood changed her perspective on the pain of losing a child.
• Luswata publicly apologized to Juliana, saying her remarks were inconsiderate and unnecessary.

Former Urban TV presenter Mary Luswata has apologized to singer Juliana Kanyomozi for comments she made about the singer following the death of her son, Keron Kabugo.

Luswata made the apology while appearing on Prim Asiimwe’s Play It Loud podcast, where she reflected on some of the moments from her controversial television career and admitted that she went too far when discussing Juliana’s loss.

Looking back about a decade later, Luswata said becoming a mother herself had changed the way she viewed the comments she made at the time.

“I took it a little too far when Juliana lost her baby,” Luswata admitted, describing her remarks as “inconsiderate, unnecessary, bordering on evil.”

The former presenter said having her own children had given her a different perspective on the pain of losing a child.

“Now, I think God has given me my own children just to reveal to me how stupid I was to say whatever I said,” she said.

Luswata, who became widely known for her outspoken and often ruthless approach to celebrity gossip on the now defunct Urban TV’s Scoop on Scoop, said she had long wanted to apologise to Juliana.

“From someone who prided herself from being unapologetic, I am apologetic to you, Juliana. That was inconsiderate, unnecessary, bordering on evil. I am sorry. It’s come ten years later, but it’s something that I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” she said.

Juliana lost her son Keron in 2014, a tragedy that was widely reported at the time. Luswata’s later career included leaving Urban TV and spending time abroad before returning to Ugandan.

Luswata also acknowledged that while her provocative style was part of her television persona, she now recognises that some subjects should have been handled differently.

Her apology comes years after the controversy and marks a notable moment of accountability from one of Uganda’s most talked-about former entertainment presenters.