Grief shadows the newsroom
As fireworks faded over Juba, Eye Radio staff gathered in hushed tones, mourning two pillars lost in 2025.
Reporter Charles Wote died in Kampala on 15 March while seeking treatment; talk-show host Emmanuel Joseph Akile followed on 30 December after a sudden illness, leaving colleagues stunned.
A funding cliff edge
The twin tragedies struck as Eye Radio wrestled with an abrupt withdrawal of donor support that almost silenced its 24-hour broadcasts in January 2025.
Management asked journalists to work for free, choosing public service over paychecks while equipment aged and transmitters flickered.
Diplomatic lifeline keeps signal alive
Six months of bridging funds from the Kingdom of the Netherlands arrived in mid-2025, preventing a total shutdown, according to CEO Stephen Omiri (Eye Radio statement).
Later, the German Embassy in Juba supplied transmitters for Jonglei, Upper Nile and Eastern Equatoria, restoring regional relays that had gone dark.
Uncertain road ahead
Eye Radio begins 2026 on air yet underfunded, with no reserves for staff welfare or field safety.
Omiri urges listeners, businesses and officials to match the integrity of the fallen journalists by supporting what he calls ‘the just cause of enlightenment and accountability’.
A funeral for Akile is scheduled in Juba on 2 January, a moment the media community hopes will galvanize national unity.