Shaka Ssali, Legendary Host of Straight Talk Africa, Dies at 71

The global journalism community is mourning the loss of Shaka Ssali, the iconic former host of Voice of America’s (VOA) flagship program Straight Talk Africa.

Shaka who passed away on March 27, 2025, at the age of 71, known as the “Kabale Kid,” died in the United States, where he had resided for decades.

For the past 20 years, he has been an influential figure in African Journalism.

Ssali was born in Kabale, a district in Western Uganda and his journey to international prominence was due to his resilience. He served in the Uganda Army and this was after dropping out from school.

He later fled out of the country in 1974 after a failed coup against Idi Amin Dada. He later decided to settle in the United States where he joined Voice of Africa in 1974 and became the inaugural host of the famous show dubbed Straight Talk Africa.

He has recieved different awards including a United Nations Peacekeeping Specialist Award Award and the Voice of Africa Best Journalist Award.

Ssali helped to bridge Africa with the rest of the World by telling his fearless stories and mentoring of upcoming African Journalists.

Details about memorial arrangements have not yet been released and we will keep you informed with any new developments.