Down Memory Lane 🔵❤️ A letter from Najjera ✍🏾 Saturday, 3rd October, 2026 Merely looking at this photograph is enough to transport us back to another Uganda—a Uganda of slower days, simpler pleasures, warmer relationships, and memories that still make us smile. There was a time when families gathered together every evening. Dad, Mum, sisters, brothers, cousins and relatives would sit around the radio, united by one common interest: listening. We listened to the evening news, waited eagerly for our favourite entertainment programmes, especially at weekends, laughed together, discussed what we had heard and sometimes even argued over what the newsreader had said. The radio was not simply an appliance in the corner of the living room. It was the heart of the home. And perhaps what made those moments so special was that we had none of today's endless social-media distractions. No WhatsApp. No X. No Instagram. No Facebook. No TikTok. Just people sitting together, listening together, talking together and enjoying one another's company. Perhaps that is why I keep taking you down Memory Lane—back to those days when life seemed simpler, slower and, in many ways, more enjoyable. In those days, the radio was our main source of news and entertainment. We knew the voices of professional broadcasters and recognised them instantly. Their voices became part of the soundtrack of our lives. Today, broadcasting has changed dramatically. With a smartphone and an internet connection, almost anyone can record a video, share a story and reach an audience within minutes. But there was something magical about the old radio days. There were programmes we eagerly awaited, almost like children waiting for Christmas. And there were radio personalities whose voices were familiar in homes across Uganda. One of the fascinating things about that era was that we often knew the voice of a broadcaster without knowing the face behind it. Take, for example, the legendary Peter Livingstone Lochode, of Habari Gani fame on Radio Uganda's Red Channel. His popular Sunday programme was loved by listeners from all walks of life. We knew his voice. We knew his style. We knew his programme. But there was one thing many of us did not know: What did Peter Livingstone Lochode actually look like? There was no Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or YouTube. There were no smartphones capturing every moment of a person's life. So our imaginations did the work. We created our own pictures in our minds of the people whose voices came through those old radios. And somehow, that mystery made the experience even more magical. Those were different times. Times when families sat together. Times when neighbours knew one another. Times when entertainment did not require an internet connection. Times when the arrival of the weekend was something to look forward to. Times when a radio programme could bring people across Uganda together. Of course, the past was not perfect. But there were beautiful things about those days that are slowly disappearing—the simplicity, the togetherness, the anticipation, the conversations, the laughter and the memories we created without realising that one day we would miss them. That is why this photograph is more than just an old picture. It is a doorway into a forgotten Uganda. A Uganda where the radio sat proudly in the living room and commanded everyone's attention. A Uganda where family time truly meant family time. A Uganda where we listened together, laughed together, debated together and waited together. Perhaps that is why I keep taking you down Memory Lane. The memories may be old, but the feelings remain forever young. So, as you read this, I have carefully selected a suitable piece of background music to soothe your spirit, warm your heart and perhaps take you right back to those beautiful days. Enjoy your weekend, folks. Keep it here for more stories, memories and journeys into the Uganda we once knew and loved. Blessings to you all. #jaqs_chronicles 🔵❤️ #trending #fyp #viral #foryou - @jaqs_chronicles