Uganda National Journalism Awards 2015 shortlist announced

The African Centre for Media Excellence (ACME) is pleased to announce a shortlist of 50 journalists for the second edition of the Uganda National Journalism Awards.

The awards, organised with support from Dutch international development organisation, HIVOS, are open to all journalists working for media outlets in Uganda. They are intended to celebrate and promote exceptional, in-depth and enterprising journalism that informs public debate and holds the powerful to account.

A total of 155 journalists participated in the Uganda National Journalism Awards 2015, submitting just over 260 entries for competition in 20 reporting categories.

“We are impressed by the significant increase in overall number of submissions (17 per cent) over last year from journalists across different media platforms,” said Dr Peter Mwesige, ACME’s executive director.

“We have planned for and expect to have a bigger event than last year’s gala for the first edition of the awards,” he said.

Of the 260 entries, print journalists submitted the bulk. However TV, radio and online journalists put up a strong showing as well. The number of entries from online news platforms rose from two, in the first edition of the awards, to 10 in 2015.

The categories that drew the highest number of entries were features, health and explanatory reporting. Photojournalism and data journalism, which were not judged last year, received seven and eight entries respectively.

These numbers, while significant, are only part of the story. The awards judging panel noted a considerable improvement in the quality of stories they assessed.

“The entries we’ve seen generally show a positive trend towards more in-depth reporting on a whole range of issues,” said Dr George Lugalambi, the head of the panel of judges. “Journalists seem to appreciate more than they have done before that it’s not enough to record events or to merely draw the public’s attention to issues. Many have done a good job of explaining things and giving them context.”

This year’s winners will be announced at a gala dinner to be held in Kampala on 8 April 2015.

Chief Justice Bart Katureebe will be chief guest, while renowned South African journalist Ferial Haffajee, editor of the City Press newspaper in Johannesburg, will deliver the keynote address.

“They don’t come bigger than that,” Dr Mwesige said.

This year the Uganda National Journalism Awards has also incorporated the Nile Breweries Award for Exceptional Journalism.

“We are pleased that Nile Breweries/SABMiller has responded to our call to sponsors of different journalism awards to come together under the umbrella of the Uganda National Journalism Awards,” Dr Mwesige said. “We hope others will follow suit.”

He added: “As we have said before, ACME hopes that the Uganda National Journalism Awards will become one of Africa’s premier journalism events that will for many years inspire Ugandan journalists to seek and achieve excellence.”

The shortlist

Two categories, editorial cartooning and commentary and analysis, are not included in the shortlist pending further consultation amongst the judges.

The names below are listed in alphabetical order.

Agriculture

• Adiah Nakuti – UBC Television
• Isaac Khisa – The EastAfrican
• Tyaba Abubaker Ssettumba – NBS Television

Arts and culture

• Caroline Ariba – New Vision
• Shamim Nakalule Kabuye and Jane Ndibarekera Bukenya  – Weinformers.net
• Stephen Ssenkaaba – New Vision

Business, finance and economy

• John Isingoma – Weinformers.net
• John Semakula and John Masaba – New Vision
• Racheal Ninsiima – The Observer

Data journalism

• Isaac Khisa – The EastAfrican
• Jane Ndibarekera Bukenya – Campus Times
• John Semakula – New Vision

Energy, oil, gas and mining

• Andrew Arinaitwe – Channel44
• Carol Natukunda and Robert Atuhairwe – New Vision
• Edward Ssekika – The Observer

Environment

• Florence Naluyimba – NTV Uganda
• Gerald Tenywa – New Vision
• Ronald Musoke – The Independent

Explanatory reporting

• Andrew Masinde – New Vision
• Conan Businge, Caroline Ariba, Stephen Ssenkaaba, Jonathan Angura and Angel Musinguzi – New Vision
• Haggai Matsiko – The Independent

Features

• Caroline Ariba – New Vision
• Frank Walusimbi – NTV Uganda
• Petride Mudoola – New Vision
• Stephen Ssenkaaba – New Vision

Health

• Bamuturaki Musinguzi – Daily Monitor
• Florence Naluyimba – NTV Uganda
• Raziah Athman and Michael Kisegerwa – Urban TV

Investigative reporting

• Edris Kiggundu – The Observer
• Raymond Mujuni – Uganda Radio Network
• Samuel Ssettumba – NTV Uganda

Justice, law and order

• Annet Lekuru – Radio Pacis
• Daniel Edyegu – New Vision
• Joan Akello – The Independent

Local reporting

• Emmanuel Ojok – Radio Pacis
• Felix Warom Okello – Daily Monitor
• Jimmy Kwo – Daily Monitor

Multimedia journalism

• Antonio Kisembo – Weinformers.net
• Pascal Kwesiga – Weinformers.net

National news – broadcast

• Bernard Yiga – UBC Television
• Franklin Ezaruku Draku – Uganda Radio Network
• Solomon Serwanja – NTV Uganda

National news – print

• Benon Herbert Oluka – The Observer
• Julius Businge – The Independent
• Pascal Kwesiga – New Vision

Photojournalism

• Daniel Edyegu – New Vision
• Paul Menya – Daily Monitor
• Stephen Wandera – Daily Monitor

Political reporting

• Edris Kiggundu – The Observer
• Flavia Nassaka – The Independent
• Mwanguhya Charles Mpagi – Daily Monitor

Sports

• Andrew Mwanguhya – Daily Monitor
• Bakhit Hafiz – Radio Pacis
• Ronald Musoke – The Independent

Nile Breweries Award for Exceptional Journalism

• Caroline Ariba – New Vision
• Edris Kiggundu – The Observer
• Florence Naluyimba – NTV Uganda
• John Semakula – New Vision
• Pascal Kwesiga – New Vision
• Stephen Ssenkaaba – New Vision

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ABOUT ACME: We are a Kampala-based independent, non-profit professional organisation committed to excellence in journalism and mass communication in Africa. ACME fulfils its mandate through refresher training for mid-career journalists; media literacy training for civil society organisations and corporate companies; media research; free expression advocacy; and media monitoring.

For inquires about the Uganda National Journalism Awards 2015 or interviews with the panel of judges, contact Ms Rachel Mugarura-Mutana at rmugarura@acme-ug.org