By Mutebi Farooq
KAMPALA — Apex Media Services has undergone a major leadership and corporate restructuring, with Aloysious Ssekanjako taking over as Chief Executive Officer as the company rebrands to Block Media Services Ltd.
Block Media Services Ltd is now operating as a private limited company by shares registered in Uganda, with Joan Vumilia retaining her position as company secretary.
Ssekanjako took over the CEO position on Friday, August 15, 2026, after the company’s board of directors appointed him to lead the new structure. He is also the company’s majority shareholder, although he stressed that his shareholding was not what made him CEO.
“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 chapter for the company, which previously operated as Apex Media Services under the leadership of Nyanzi Martin Luther.
Nyanzi, who founded and led the media venture, has handed over the CEO’s office as he returns to school to concentrate on his academic work.
Addressing the media, Nyanzi said the company had reached a stage where it could operate with 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.
The company is also formally welcoming new staff as part of the restructuring. Ssekanjako said the organisation currently has about 60 staff members, with plans to recruit more presenters as its media operations expand.
Previously, the organisation worked largely with contributors. Under the new structure, the company intends to formalise its workforce and expand its operations.
Fresh ideas
Ssekanjako said the leadership transition is intended to bring new ideas and approaches to the company.
“What will be different is having new ideas that develop us,” he said. “As in governance, when you lead for more years, there are new ideas blocked when trying to solve the old ones.”
He said the company’s long-term ambition is to establish Block Media Services Ltd as one of the major companies in Africa while developing new brands and products under the company.
“We shall have to establish more brands and also produce productivity work that attracts customers and viewers,” he said.
The company is currently reviewing possible new products, including plans to establish additional radio and television brands and eventually charity organisations.
Tanzania expansion
Ssekanjako said the company is also looking beyond Uganda, with Tanzania identified as its first target for regional expansion.
He said the company hopes to establish a newspaper in Tanzania that will operate independently of the state.
The expansion will be financed by the company’s directors and shareholders, according to Ssekanjako.
He said the company also intends to establish a new headquarters and expand its broadcasting operations.
Block FM to expand programming
Block FM will remain the company’s flagship product, but Ssekanjako said its programming will change.
The station has traditionally focused heavily on music, but the new management plans to introduce a wider range of programming, including political, entertainment and other programmes.
“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 expected to give Block FM a broader programming identity as the company expands.
Apex Digital Skills
Another initiative linked to the company is Apex Digital Skills Initiative, which Ssekanjako said currently operates under the registered Block Media Services Ltd structure.
He said the company intends to obtain a separate licence for the initiative from the NGO Bureau and explore cooperation with the government through the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development to support young people.
The initiative is expected to remain focused on youth development and digital skills.
Why the new corporate structure?
Ssekanjako said the private limited company structure is intended to provide greater protection for the company and its shareholders.
He said the structure also provides separation between the company’s liabilities and those of individual shareholders.
He further said the new structure gives the company greater opportunities to access financing, including possible government-backed financing.
On ownership, Ssekanjako said the company’s governance arrangements would ensure that major decisions are handled through meetings involving directors and staff.
He also said the structure provides safeguards around the transfer of shares.
A new chapter
The changes bring an end to Nyanzi Martin Luther’s period as chief executive while allowing the young entrepreneur to return his attention to academics.
Nyanzi’s transition comes after a period in which he built a public profile around media entrepreneurship, youth digital-skills initiatives and national advocacy.
Under Ssekanjako, Block Media Services Ltd now intends to move from the company’s previous structure into a more formal corporate model, while pursuing new media products and regional expansion.
For the new CEO, the immediate task is to turn the company’s ambitions into sustainable operations.
The long-term goal, he said, is clear: to build Block Media Services Ltd into one of Africa’s major companies while creating new brands under its name.
