KAMPALA: Apex Media Services has undergone a leadership and corporate restructuring, with Aloysious Ssekanjako appointed Chief Executive Officer as the company adopts a new identity, Block Media Services Ltd.
The company is now operating as a private limited company by shares registered in Uganda, with Joan Vumilia retaining her position as company secretary.
Ssekanjako assumed the CEO position on Friday, August 15, 2026, following his appointment by the company’s board of directors. He is also the company’s majority shareholder but said his ownership stake was not the basis for his appointment.
“Being the majority shareholder didn’t make me become a leading person. It is the board of directors that chose me, and they can remove me and appoint someone else,” Ssekanjako said.
The restructuring marks a new phase for the company, which previously operated as Apex Media Services under the leadership of Nyanzi Martin Luther, its founder and former CEO.
Nyanzi has stepped down from the CEO position to return to school and concentrate on his academic work.
Addressing the media, Nyanzi said the company had reached a stage where it could operate under a new management team.
“I am returning back to school for my academic work. The company is now fully set to run with the new team,” he said.
New management, bigger ambitions
Ssekanjako said the leadership transition is intended to introduce fresh ideas and approaches as the company seeks to expand its operations.
“What will be different is having new ideas that develop us,” he said, arguing that prolonged leadership can sometimes make it difficult to introduce new approaches to longstanding challenges.
Block Media Services currently employs about 60 people, according to Ssekanjako, with plans to recruit additional presenters as the company’s media operations grow.
The new management also intends to formalise more of its workforce, having previously relied substantially on contributors.
Ssekanjako said the long-term ambition is to build Block Media Services into one of the major companies in Africa while creating additional brands and products.
The company is considering new media ventures, including additional radio and television brands, as well as potential charitable organisations.
Tanzania expansion planned
The company is also preparing for regional expansion, with Tanzania identified as its first target outside Uganda.
Ssekanjako said Block Media Services plans to establish a newspaper in Tanzania that would operate independently of the state.
The proposed expansion would be financed by the company’s directors and shareholders, he said.
The company also plans to establish a new headquarters and expand its broadcasting operations as part of its growth strategy.
Block FM to broaden programming
Block FM will remain the company’s flagship media product, although its programming is expected to change under the new management.
Ssekanjako said the station, which has traditionally had a strong focus on music, will introduce a broader range of programming covering politics, entertainment and other areas.
“We will have some few changes in its operations. The radio has been musical all day and now we are ranging to all shows, political, entertainment,” he said.
The changes are intended to give the station a broader programming profile as the company expands its audience and media portfolio.
Digital skills initiative
The company is also associated with the Apex Digital Skills Initiative, which Ssekanjako said currently operates under the Block Media Services Ltd structure.
He said the company intends to seek a separate licence for the initiative from the NGO Bureau and explore collaboration with the Government through the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development.
The initiative is expected to continue focusing on youth development and digital skills.
Why the new corporate structure?
Ssekanjako said the decision to operate as a private limited company by shares is aimed at strengthening corporate governance and protecting the company and its shareholders.
He said the structure separates the company’s liabilities from those of individual shareholders and could also provide greater opportunities to access financing, including potential government-backed funding.
He added that major decisions would be handled through established corporate governance structures involving directors and staff, while the new arrangement also provides safeguards regarding the transfer of shares.
The restructuring therefore marks a transition from the company’s earlier organisational model to a more formal corporate structure.
For Nyanzi, the change allows him to return to his academic pursuits after leading the media venture, while Ssekanjako takes charge of the company’s next phase.
Under the new CEO, Block Media Services Ltd is seeking to combine media expansion, new brands, digital skills development and regional growth as it pursues its stated ambition of becoming a major African company.