Flavia Tumusiime is a Ugandan Actress, Radio and Television host, Voice-over artist, MCcee and Author of 30 Days of Flavia.
Flavia Tumusiime, 30 years, presents a mid-morning radio show on 91.3 Capital FM in Kampala, a former co-host of Morning @ NTV on NTV Uganda where she also doubles as a news anchor on NTV Tonight news and is a VJ for Channel O.
Tumusiime played the role of Kamali Tenywa (lead role) in Nana Kagga’s television series, Beneath the lies – The series from 2014 to 2016, and has co-hosted the Guinness Football Challenge.
Flavia Tumusiime – Early Life and Education
Flavia Tumusiime was born on 11, February in 1989, to father Enoch Tumusiime, a Ugandan and mother Christine Asiimwe, of Rwandan origin in Nsambya Hospital, Kampala the Central District of Uganda and raised in Kampala suburbs. She is the only child of Enoch and Christine.
Although she’s a City-born, Tumusiime hails from Busheri Nyabushozi in western Uganda. Unfortunately, Tumusiime’s father died when she was young, at the age of 8 and her mother decided not to remarry but rather raise her only child as a single mother.
Narrating her story Tumusiime says her mother is a very wonderful person who has done her best for her wellbeing, performing the role of a father and a mother.
She says her father was a very authoritarian man who always wanted things to be done his style. So, after his death, her mother changed the house to a smaller one and even changed her school to a less costly school as compared to the one she was attending when her father was still living.
At this time Tumusiime thought it was just a holiday programme after, they will return to their house. Unfortunately, it was all a dream, after being taken to a new school, she realised that life has changed, what she has now is herself and her mother. But before her father’s death, she was a distance from any of her parents, none of them was her friend.
At that time her mother advised her to study very hard such that one day she will be able to take care of herself and her mother.
From her mother’s piece of advice, Tumusiime began thinking about what she can do to get out of the miserable life they had adopted. She said we can live like this forever if we choose to, otherwise, I have to wake up and change the situation, because she wasn’t happy at all.
Tumusiime became more of a protector than a burden to her mother because she did not want to add up to her misery. Her mother had been forced to be the head of the family, which she wasn’t before.
She became the father, mother, sister and brother to her. Going to school, her mother could give her 200 Uganda shillings each day, for upkeep. But always Tumusiime could tell her mother not to give her the money, Tumusime told her mother that she will try not to eat at school.
As a young girl, Tumusiime had fears over her life, because she only had her mother to rely on, as a child and as a teenager. Every single day she waked up, she wasn’t sure if things will turn around one day, she couldn’t even see the possibility of her life-changing.
Tumusiime says;
every single day her mother waked up, she could see that her only hope was her. And just the worry was a challenge to her because she didn’t know where her mother and she were heading to, they were at crossroad and life was so hard.
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As time went by, Tumusiime managed to triumph over her worries, she got used to the situation and accepted what life had thrown unto them. And if she wants life to change for the better, it was in the future.
So, one thing Tumusiime had in mind was to go to school, pay attention to her studies and then after school things would change after getting a good job to help out herself and mother.
In her early school days, Tumusiime attended St. Theresa Kisubi Primary School for a short period and then changed to another City School from where she obtained her Primary Certificate after her father’s death.
Work and Experience
At that time, she was willing to do any kind of job, be it cleaning provided it pays. her first job was at WBS TV which no longer exists at 14 years of age, as a TV Presenter on Teens Club Show, she did along with other teens for four years. She wasn’t interested in being viewed on people’s TV screens or rather become a household personality.
Immediately, the programme producer had to step down and interrupted her wonders. she had to accept saying maybe that’s how they make those fine pictures she sees on TV.
After expressing herself on camera, the producer did not tell her whether she got the job or not, but she informed her to go sit and watch the other children do it. After the session, the producer informed her that it was now time for a practical test.
Since she was not from a good background like the other children, she imagined if she speaks, they will shout at her. That’s why she was quiet at work, no interaction with the other children or anything, she was always quiet and work was her only business at the Station.
Immediately he asked her to go sign and pick all her money. It was a lot of money, and she was very excited. So, she kept the rest of the money with her mother. She did not want her mother to go through thin and thick for her sake, she wanted to help her where she could.
Since everything she needed was to raise money for her school. He told her that if you go on the radio, you can make some good money, go and look for radio jobs. But she hated radio work in her life, but she had to go because she needed money. She replied Radio presenter.
She said no. The person who attended to her then said excuse me when you get the Radio demo, you can come back. Tumusiime thought the man was lying. From Sanyu FM, Flavia Tumusiime went out to seek what a radio demo was, fortunately, the person she asked was a radio presenter, Roger Mugisha.
She went to 91.3 Capital FM, did a demo and went back home. She said I have turned 18 years. He told her congratulations you have the job. He replied today.
Her reaction was that she had to go home first and brief her mother on the matter and collectively make up their mind whether to take the job or not. The next day she appeared, this time around she tried to wear a nice dress, nice shoes because she was going to discuss a contract agreement with her boss.
He answered that it’s part of their business. Her mother’s argument was that she can take care of her whether she has the job or not because she’s her responsibility.
She didn’t want her to live in worries all the time. Though it was hard for her, she managed to raise money to pay her school fees and other necessities. She did her UACE Exams while working and passed her UNEB exams.
In 2016, Tumusiime joined NTV Uganda as a news anchor of NTV Tonight news, an English news bulletin on NTV and in 2018, she hosted a morning show Morning @ NTV.
Television series
In 2014, Tumusiime featured in the Beneath the Lies – The Series, role as Kamali Tenywa.
Reserved a TV Show, role Herself-Host – Hosting celebrities on her web series.
Tusker Twende Kazi, role Herself – Contestant from Uganda.
Tusker Project Fame, role Herself – Auditions Judge.
Films
In 2010, Tumusiime acted in the Irreversible movie, while in 2008, she acted in the Kiwani: The Movie played alongside Juliana Kanyomozi as her character’s niece.
Awards and Recognition
Young Achievers Award for Media and Journalism 2013.
Silver Award in the best mid-morning show category at the 2013 Radio and TV Award.
Teeniez role model in 2013, Buzz Teeniez Awards.
Best Dressed Female Media Personality of the Year – Abryanz Style and Fashion Awards 2015.
Best Female Radio Personality – Uganda Entertainment Awards 2016.
Flavia Tumusiime – Family Life
Flavia Tumusiime is married to Andrew Kabuura who is also a media personality. Kabuura is a sports journalist who works with Supersport and NTV Uganda.
He is also a presenter of a sports segment on Radio City in Kampala.
Flavia Tumusiime and Andrew Kabuura got married on 12th January 2019, at All Saints Cathedral Nakasero in Kampala, presided over by Bishop Zac Niringiye and then hosted their guests at Kampala Serena Hotel.
Flavia Tumusiime and Andrew Kabuura have a child together who they welcomed on 4th April 2020 which happened to be a good Friday. the child is a boy by the the names Liam Ahabwe Kabuura.
This was after their traditional marriage ceremony, Kuhingira in Ruyakitala that happened in Kiruhura District, western Uganda on 17th, November 2018.
In all her marriage events, Tumusiime kept it simple but perfect, she looked beautiful.
Role Model
Her mother – every value you see in her the credit goes to her mother.
Personality
Those who have failed to understand Flavia Tumusiime thinking she’s a proud person, you are wrong. Tumusiime is not an extravert, she’s a reserved person but social.
To her, all people are equals, right from the president, because all of them are human beings. The way she treats the CEO of a company is the same way she will treat a cleaner.
She says she may not kneel down while greeting you, but it doesn’t mean that she doesn’t love you. In her argument, everyone comes from a different background and raised differently, however, she respects every person.
She is not proud, but she doesn’t lower her standards, Tumusiime can’t force herself in a situation that she is not happy with. If she’s not happy with you or with what you have done, she openly tells you.
Which is good, but most people take it to be offensive and she can’t pretend about it because it’s her trait.
Tumusiime is an honest person, she doesn’t pretend about anything.
She is expensive. she buys what she wants using her own money. However, though she likes good and expensive things, she doesn’t reject or throw away a gift from anyone, cheap it may be.
She highly maintains herself, she doesn’t call out people to be highly maintained, she takes care of herself.
Childhood Memories
She remembers her father as a military man, not really an army man but very tough, who used to be very tough and strict on her. She had no freedom of movement and she thought he was pulling her out of freedom, but after growing up, she realised that her father actually did the right thing, trying to teach her that out there the world is tough not as you thing.
He was very strict on language, never allowed Luganda speaking at home, only English and home language. One day their maid at home called her and she replied Wangi, a Luganda word which she learnt from her boarding school.
Tumusiime narrates that the next thing she had was a slap on her back, only to see it was her father who had given her the hottest slap she will never forget in her life. She asked while crying Dad why have you slapped me? He said what did say? She answered she called me, and how did you reply? I answered Wangi and how pupils at school say.
Her father told her never to speak any bit of Luganda again, in his argument, she should not allow anyone to teache her their values but rather she should teach them her values. For that reason, during those times she thought speaking Luganda was an abomination.
Another memory was the time Flavia Tumusiime joined St Theresa Kisubi Primary School. At lunchtime, she asked where is the chicken? Who takes water I want milk. But they told her you will be fine after two weeks, and indeed she adjusted and got used to what the school provided.
