Uganda National Journalism Awards 2022 shortlist announced

NEWS RELEASE 

9 December 2022

The African Centre for Media Excellence (ACME) is pleased to announce a shortlist of 59 entries for the 2022 edition of the Uganda National Journalism Awards.

The awards, launched in 2014, celebrate and promote exceptional, in-depth and enterprising journalism that informs public debate and holds power to account. They are open to all journalists working for media outlets in Uganda or regional media houses with wide circulation and significant audience reach in the country.

“Recognition and reward are proven ways of motivating professionals to maintain good standards and to raise their performance,” says George Lugalambi, ACME executive director. “These awards showcase the best of Ugandan journalism and inspire media platforms to continue striving to excel.”

Across the media industry, 196 journalists participated in the awards, submitting 283 entries for competition. About 30 percent of participating journalists are women and 40 percent of entries were from journalists based outside Kampala.

A panel of 8 judges drawn from the media, academia and public communications adjudicated the entries. Dr Charlotte Kawesa Ntulume of the Department of Journalism and Communication at Makerere University chaired the panel.

This year, funding and support for the Uganda National Journalism Awards is provided by a range of corporate, public sector and civil society partners.

The awards sponsors include MTN Uganda, TotalEnergies EP Uganda, CIPESA, Stanbic Bank Uganda, and National Drug Authority. Others are National Social Security Fund, AgriFarm Uganda, Uganda Civil Aviation Authority, CivSource Africa, Centre for Policy Analysis, Nile Breweries, Centenary Bank, National Association of Broadcasters, Diamond Trust Bank, and Uganda Development Bank.

“Quality journalism can no longer be taken for granted,” says Dr Lugalambi. “It needs to be celebrated and we’re grateful to every journalist who participated in the competition and all the sponsors who responded to our call for support.”

This year’s winners will be announced at a gala  to be held on Wednesday 14 December 2022 at 4:30 pm at Mestil Hotel Conference Centre in Nsambya, Kampala.

Among the highlights, Rachael Akidi Okwir, BBC World Service head of East Africa, will deliver a keynote address on covering Africa in a rapidly changing digital landscape.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

THE SHORTLIST

The following are the stories that made the shortlist of the Uganda National Journalism Awards 2022.

Agriculture

• Climate change: Food shortage hits Teso region
  • Betty Amamukirori, New Vision
• GMO research: Lack of law complicates it
  • Isaac Khisa, The Independent
• Why Ugandans are hungry (story series)
  • Joshua Kato, New Vision

 

Arts

• Drum makers decry competition
  • Andrew Kaggwa, Daily Monitor
• Mama Awards, money and music
  • Daniel Lutaaya, NBS Television
• Outlawed animal parts spell death for Bwola dance
  • Caroline Ayugi, Daily Monitor
• Weaving a new twist
  • Anthony Maina, Alex Sekitoleko and Moses Serugo, Framez & Wavez

 

Business, finance and economy

• Business, multinational companies dodging taxes (series)
  • Ismail Musa Ladu, Daily Monitor
• Illegal entry points fuel silent gold trade along Uganda-DRC border
  • Federick Dramadri, Radio Pacis
• Timber exports: Standards, splitting remain leading constraints
  • Nelson Mandela Muhoozi, New Vision

 

Education

• Busoga University operating underground, students in distress
  • Thomas Kitimbo and Daniel Lutaaya, NBS Television
• My silent world
  • Irene Abalo and Susan Mujjawa, NMG Uganda
• Payroll fraud: How teachers get cheated
  • John Masaba, New Vision

 

Energy and extractive industries

• The sinking environment
  • Canary Mugume, Jamila Mulindwa and Godfrey Badebye, NBS Television
• Uganda’s first oil: What is at stake
  • Cliff Abenaitwe and Megan Lee, InfoNile
• Who is smuggling mercury into Namayingo gold mines? (series)
  • George Bita, New Vision

 

Environment

• Deforestation in Uganda (series)
  • Ronald Musoke, The Independent
• Illegal sand mining leaves human, aquatic lives at risk
  • Alex Tumuhimbise, Daily Monitor
• Rwenzori trans-border communities commercialising conservation
  • Shamim Saad, New Vision
• Saving Uganda’s water thirsty cities
  • Gerald Tenywa, New Vision

 

Features

• Embracing the patches
  • Anthony Maina, Alex Sekitoleko and Moses Serugo, Framez & Wavez
• Martin Senkubuge finding the colourful side of vitiligo
  • Bamuturaki Musinguzi, Daily Monitor
• Nakivubo Channel, where the good and bad meet
  • Richard Olwenyi and Joshua Mujunga, NBS Television
• Road crashes kill more than Covid-19
  • Zurah Nakabugo, The Observer

 

Health

• 14,000 Ugandans miss medical care when one doctor dies
  • Betty Amamukirori, New Vision
• I can’t breathe
  • Daniel Lutaaya, NBS Television
• Unsafe abortions robbing girls of motherhood
  • Agnes Kyotalengerire, New Vision

 

Investigative reporting

• Corruption in the Administrator General’s Office exposed (series)
  • Richard Kayiira, Bukedde Television
• Defiled by my father: A quest for justice
  • Rahim Nwali and Solomon Serwanjja, African Institute for Investigative Journalism
• How church conned several firms of Shs17 billion
  • Ritah Kemigisa, NTV Uganda
• Lives in the hands of quacks
  • Benson Ongom, NBS Television

 

Justice, law and order

• Living with a bullet
  • Sudhir Byaruhanga, NTV Uganda
• Obwegugungo bwa November 2020
  • Culton Scovia Nakamya, BBS Terefayina
• The mess at LDC
  • Canary Mugume, Godfrey Badebye and Swaleh Swalik, NBS Television

 

Land and property

• Ghost landlords
  • Victoria Bagaaya and Paul Kayonga, NBS Television
• Inside Uganda’s land mess (series)
  • Esther Oluka, Daily Monitor
• Land is the answer (series)
  • Edward Muhumuza, NTV Uganda

 

Local reporting

• Dangerous profits: Why illegal ivory trade persists along Uganda-DRC border
  • John Dibaba, Radio Pacis
• From captives to fighters for survival
  • Arnest Tumwesige, New Vision
• Quarrels over rock delay road project
  • John Unzima, New Vision

 

National news (broadcast)

• Amasasi ganyoose mu kikwekweto ky’okufuza abatemu e Masaka
  • Solomon Kaweesa, NTV Uganda
• Children sell masks to survive during lockdown
  • Cliff Wamala, NTV Uganda
• Double jeopardy: The resilience of women in cross-border trade
  • Culton Scovia Nakamya, BBS Terefayina

 

National news (print)

• Kasaija’s tax burden
  • Isaac Khisa, The Independent
• November riots: The lives we lost
  • Gillian Nantume, Daily Monitor
• Uganda’s charcoal crisis (series)
  • Gerald Tenywa, New Vision

 

Photo and video journalism

• Sinking land: Man and water collide as floods overtake landing site in Uganda
  • Miriam Watsemba, InfoNile

 

Political reporting

• How boxers have been sucked into the ‘dirty game’
  • Abdul-Nasser Ssemugabi, Daily Monitor
• Olutalo lwa LC1 lutuse mu kooti
  • Jill Ainebyoona, Bukedde
• What it means to have youngest cabinet
  • Umaru Kashaka, New Vision

 

Public accountability

• Bribery hits Covid-19 vaccination
  • Cecilia Okoth, New Vision
• Covid-19 money trail
  • Solomon Serwanjja and Rahim Nwali, NBS Television
• Government prioritises VIP cars ahead of citizens’ health
  • Ritah Kemigisa, NTV Uganda

 

Public works and infrastructure

• Will KCCA’s new infrastructure campaign solve city mess?
  • Ernest Jjingo, The Observer
• Works budget
  • Paul Kayonga, NBS Television

 

Sports

• Athletes rebranding in Sebei region
  • Olivia Nakate, Urban TV
• Lack of support: West Nile female footballers’ talent fading away
  • Musa Sabir, Radio Pacis
• The champions’ story
  • Samuel Mpoza, NTV Uganda
• The dilemma of a classless para-athlete
  • Abdul-Nasser Ssemugabi, Daily Monitor

###

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Write to us through awards[at]acme-ug.org.