NBS TV’s Kungu Al-Mahadi Adam, popularly known as Adam Kungu, has emerged as Uganda’s leading current affairs television presenter in the 2026 Uganda National Media Survey conducted by Market Intelligence Group.
Adam Kungu topped the Top 15 Current Affairs TV Presenters category, ahead of fellow prominent broadcasters including Samson Kasumba, Mildred Tuhaise, Robina Mweruka Sanyu and Canary Mugume.
The recognition comes alongside a strong performance by his flagship programme, Barometer, which was ranked the best Luganda/local-language talk show in the country.
The survey results therefore give Kungu a double distinction — the country’s top current affairs TV presenter and the presenter of Uganda’s leading Luganda talk show.
The findings were presented as part of the 2026 Uganda National Media Survey, conducted by Market Intelligence Group across all 146 districts to establish how Ugandans consume radio, television, print and online media.
Barometer leads Luganda talk shows
Kungu’s Barometer, broadcast on NBS TV, finished ahead of other leading Luganda talk shows, according to the survey.
NBS describes Barometer as its Luganda-language counterpart to The Frontline, focusing on political debates and discussions tailored to Luganda-speaking audiences.
The programme’s number-one ranking adds to Kungu’s recognition as the leading current affairs presenter, strengthening his position as one of the most prominent voices in Uganda’s political broadcasting.
Kungu is also part of the NBS current affairs team and hosts The Eagle, another political programme on NBS TV, which he presents every Sunday.
Strong performance on Sanyuka TV
Kungu’s influence extends beyond NBS TV. Together with Haffy Powers, he hosts Morning Xpress on Sanyuka TV, NBS’s sister television station.
According to the 2026 survey results, Sanyuka TV was ranked the second-best Luganda television station, behind Bukedde TV, while Morning Xpress emerged as the third-best morning television programme, following Morning Breeze on NBS TV and Good Morning Uganda on UBC.
The results mean Kungu features prominently across several of the survey’s leading television categories — as the number-one current affairs presenter, host of the best Luganda talk show, presenter of The Eagle, and co-host of one of Uganda’s leading morning television programmes.
A decade in journalism
Kungu’s rise has been built over more than a decade in journalism. His media career began in 2016 as a political writer and reporter with Sunrise Newspaper.
He later worked with SoftPower News and Plus News Uganda, covering politics and regional affairs, before moving into broadcast journalism in 2019 at Top Radio and Television, where he hosted political talk shows.
In 2020, he joined BaBa Television and Radio 4, where he hosted programmes including Gangamuka and Hot Cup at 9. He was subsequently appointed Station Manager at Radio 4 in 2023, taking on responsibility for content and programming at the urban radio station.
He later joined Next Media, where he became a presenter of Barometer and The Eagle on NBS TV and Morning Xpress on Sanyuka TV.
His journalism has also taken him beyond Uganda, particularly to Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, where he has covered regional political and security affairs, including the Tigray conflict.
Academic journey
Kungu has simultaneously built an academic career alongside his work in the media. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and a Master of Science in Mass Communication from Kampala International University.
He graduated with his master’s degree in July 2025 after successfully defending a thesis examining international media propaganda and news coverage of the Tigray conflict in Ethiopia. His thesis is also publicly archived by KIU.
He is now a first-year PhD student at Uganda Christian University (UCU), pursuing a PhD in Journalism, Media and Communication, further extending his academic work in journalism and media studies.
His academic interests have closely complemented his professional work, particularly his focus on media framing, political communication, African affairs and the role of journalism in shaping public understanding of conflicts and political developments.