ACME is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2025 Uganda National Journalism Awards. This year’s awards attracted participation from 147 journalists representing a diverse array of media organisations from across the country, underscoring the broad engagement and vibrant journalistic community in Uganda.
The Uganda National Journalism Awards annually recognise outstanding contributions to journalism, celebrating work that upholds professional standards, demonstrates significant impact, and provides valuable insights into the issues shaping Uganda. This initiative serves to highlight the dedication and skill within the media landscape, and contribute to an environment of excellence and robust public discourse.
ACME is proud to present the full list of 2025 winners (topical reporting categories). We congratulate them all.
List of winners
Agriculture reporting
WINNER – Nelson Mandela Muhoozi – New Vision
Body of work:
– Over 100,000 jobs at stake as 9 tea factories close
– Factories speak out on crisis in tea sector
– The cost of taking Uganda’s tea to Mombasa market
– Is policy vacuum responsible for collapse of tea sector
RUNNER-UP – Henry Okurut – UBC Television
Body of work:
– Pastors roar as agriculture empowerment summit closes in Namutumba
– East African Parliament moves to prevent and control zoonotic diseases
– Farmers in Teso trained on proper management of citrus farms
– Making Bukedi great again: Will coffee, cocoa and poultry prosper in the region
– New crop in the North: Farmers excited as coffee penetrates Acholi and Lango sub-regions
***
Arts reporting
WINNERS – Jamila Mulindwa Nuwaha, Hakiim Wampamba, James Mutatina, Paul Kayonga, Kenneth Kaweesa, Julius Yiga Bakabaage & Thomas Kitimbo – NBS Television
Body of work:
– Fresh Kid’s journey: From rising star to completing primary school
– Preserving Uganda’s musical legacy of the Janzi
– One hit wonders
– Ronald Mayinja: Caught between politics and art
– The lost act: Uganda’s theatre industry searches for revival
RUNNERS-UP
Alex Paul Sekitoleko, Moses Serugo & Anthony Gwaro – Framez & Wavez
Body of work:
– Echoes from the past keeping history alive
– Makano: The future of African dolls
– The Queen of Sculpture
– Two decades of visual arts excellence
Joseph Batte – New Vision
Body of work:
– Kathryn: The muzungu who loved Kafeero beyond song
– Nathaniel Mata: The blind Obangaina composer lives like a pauper
– The untold life story of Philly Lutaaya
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
Andrew Kaggwa – Daily Monitor
Body of work:
– Blu3 – The ultimate throwback concert
– Get up and dance, Uganda!
– Who is stealing Sheeba’s lunch
Bamuturaki Musinguzi – Nation Media Group Uganda
Body of work:
– Amapiano’s first decade: Journey of a billion streams
– Six female artists explore grief in Njabala exhibition
– Strokes of splendour steeped in emotions
– Uncomfortable laughter: Satirist Spire speaks truth to power
– Young artists explore womanhood in expo
***
Business, economy and finance reporting
WINNER – Ismail Musa Ladu – Daily Monitor
Body of work:
– Global financial structures limiting Uganda’s economic growth potential
– How predatory global systems are stifling Uganda’s export efforts
– How to unchain Uganda, continental peers from global predators
RUNNER-UP – Franklin Ezaruku Draku – Daily Monitor
Body of work:
– Govt, loan sharks clash on interest rate
– How closure of 8000 NGOs has hit Uganda’s economy
– How tax fraud has abetted money laundering in Uganda
HONOURABLE MENTION – Ronah Nahabwe – Daily Monitor
Body of work:
– Bottomless pits? Cost of government ventures
– Only 10 percent of Govt projects are on schedule, NPA says
– Report casts extractives sector in negative light
– Uganda loses Shs4.4 trillion to un-commercialised waste
***
Climate change reporting
WINNER – Martin Amayiko – Radio Simba
Body of work:
– 3-part documentary series – Sub-counties are in tears, assailants destroyed over 300 hectares of Nkambwe Forest
RUNNERS-UP
Andrew Aijuka – InfoNile, Apes Reporting Project
Body of work:
– Drilling towards a better living
– Is water and ecosystems conservation a global game changer in climate change adaptation and mitigation?
– Thirsty Neighbors: Why mountain gorillas, rarely seen drinking water, now drink more
Diana Taremwa Karakire – African Arguments, UgPost & IndigenousTimes
Body of work:
– New European Union law on deforestation threatens livelihoods of coffee farmers
– Teenage pregnancies soar as floods displace more families in Kasese district
– Uganda’s struggles resettling climate-displaced communities
HONOURABLE MENTION – Innocent Kiiza – Rwenzori Daily, Mongabay
Body of work:
– In Uganda a women-led reforestation initiative fights flooding erosion
– Kasese’s struggle against nature, a call for sustainable practices and infrastructure
– Resilient against the odds: How climate change is shaping the lives of people with disabilities in Uganda
– Vulnerable under the sun: How climate change and tax policies deepen the struggles of children with albinism
***
Community reporting
WINNER – Benzamin, Matata – Voice of Life FM
Body of work:
– 19-year-old lives doomed life after gunshot injury in Arua City
– Climate smart agriculture on Bishop’s tree campaign in West Nile
– Feature story on forced marriage
– Shea tree conservation tournament
RUNNERS-UP
Henry Lematia – Voice of Madi
Body of work:
– Adolescent substance abuse, a silent epidemic in West Nile
– Roadside slaying and youth idleness: The link in the West Nile
– The silent struggle: Youth, mental health in West Nile
Johnisani Ocakacon – Radio Rupiny
Body of work:
– 3-part series on spina bifida and hydrocephalus
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
Alex Ashaba – Daily Monitor
Body of work:
– Floods drown hopes of Ntoroko residents
– Ntoroko schools yet to rise from flood ruins as first term opens
– Ntoroko seeks Shs850m to combat river flooding
– Pupils brave dangerous canoe rides to reach class in submerged Ntoroko
– Tents come to the rescue of learners battered by floods
Herbert Kamoga – Daily Monitor
Body of work:
– Luciano Baguma’s tragic ending: How Bushenyi men suffer in silence under violent wives
– Population surge strains Luweero’s health sector
– The unseen struggles of breastfeeding mothers in Kyangwali
– Will the Food Bill end Karamoja’s silent crisis?
***
Education reporting
WINNER – Dorothy Nagitta – Daily Monitor
Body of work:
– How showbiz, bribery have eaten into school politics
– How students fake graduation booklets to hoodwink parents
– Suubi packs first-class degree into trolled metallic suitcase lands juicy job
RUNNER-UP – Damali Mukhaye – Daily Monitor
Body of work:
– Govt drops new A-Level curriculum, roll out abridged version
– Govt makes U-turn, to feed pupils in schools
– Govt set to abolish varsity sponsorships for students from wealthier families
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
Nobert Atukunda & Arnold Sseremba – NTV Uganda
Body of work:
– Education in peril: Community schools struggle with poor infrastructure
– Education in peril: Pupils walk seven km journey to school daily
– Girls resort to unusual menstrual alternatives
– Primary school conducts all classes in one room
– Schools in trouble over capitation grant row
Okello Jesus Ojara – TND News
Body of work:
– Hidden dangers of children riding as passengers on motorcycles
– Children abandoning school for booming plastic waste money (Co-author – Federick Dramadri)
– Lamwo school gets new solar grid to improve access to quality education
– When childhood ends too soon: The hostile world of child mothers in the society
***
Energy and natural resources reporting
WINNER – Paul Murungi – CEO East Africa Magazine
Body of work:
– Mad rush for graphite in Kitgum District, an economic blessing or another resource curse?
– How will Uganda’s energy sector fare after Umeme’s exit?
– Bank of Uganda’s gold purchase programme – a step in the right direction, despite the complex challenges
– Uganda presses ahead with its oil refinery project amidst questions on profitability and sustainability
RUNNER-UP – John Odyek, New Vision
Body of work:
– EITI wants Uganda to focus on oil, gas, mining contracts disclosure
– Govt urged to support charcoal traders amidst energy transition
– Small miners look to banks for growth; Uganda targets 24000MW of power using nuclear plants
– Ugandans want price of cooking gas reduced
***
Environment reporting
WINNERS
Culton Scovia Nakamya & Devis Muhumuza – BBS Terefayina
Body of work:
– Baabano abatema emiti mu bibira
– Yiino engeri gyebatemamu ebibira
– Baabano abamazewo bibira bya Uganda
Simon Wokorach – Freelancer
Body of work:
– Elephants at the door: Nwoya’s fight for survival
– Green flames: Schools ignite change with clean cooking solutions
– How fighting for Murchison’s territory devastates lives in Nwoya
– The road to black gold: Watchmen gang up for profits
RUNNER-UP – Prossy Nankanja – Arua One FM
Body of work:
– Bush burning impact in Arua
– Strategy to reduce plastic waste in Arua
– The impact of clay brick making on indigenous trees
HONOURABLE MENTION – Joshua Kagoro – NilePost
Body of work:
– 15 tonnes of wealth: How one young entrepreneur is revolutionizing waste management in Uganda
– Nature guardians: The unsung heroes of Uganda’s biodiversity
– Unmasking Uganda’s air pollution crisis
***
Health reporting
WINNER – Rhonet Atwiine – Solutions Now Africa
Body of work:
– Women with albinism join hands, build community free from ‘witch-hunt’
– Learning in difference
– Restoring smiles
RUNNERS-UP
Jessica Sabano – Daily Monitor
Body of work:
– Extortion hindering expectant mothers’ rights in government facilities
– Mpuga: Island where men use polythene bags as condoms
– The scandal of poverty on Uganda’s islands
Robert Adiga – New Vision
Body of work:
– Cervical cancer a thorn in the flesh of women in Greater Arua
– How Arua hospital is breaking the chain in mother-baby HIV spread
– Why TB persists in West Nile amidst interventions
HONOURABLE MENTION – David Kiyengo – 89.2 CBS FM Emmanduso
Body of work:
– Children under 5 suffering acute malnutrition
– Emergency response leakages
– Self-prescription a huge burden in Uganda
***
Justice, law and order reporting
WINNERS – NBS Investigates team – NBS Television
Body of work:
– Tiang Tang investment scandal
– URA tax weevil
– Wefunile Driving School scam questions
RUNNER-UP – Simon Masaba – New Vision
Body of work:
– Security operatives probed over theft of Sh283m coffee
– Export coffee theft security officers cited in 8 robberies
– Sayooni: Hidden den of Kampala bodaboda gangs
– The hidden cost of standing surety – The case of Peter Opio
– Uncovering cement adulteration racket
HONOURABLE MENTIONS – Michael Odeng & Edward Anyoli – New Vision
Body of work:
– Agony of delayed justice; Corruption convicts hold onto ill-gotten wealth
– Real estate post-mortem: What is killing the giants
– Why it is difficult to recover assets from the corrupt
***
Political reporting
WINNER – Ian Katusiime – The Independent
Body of work:
– #March2Parliament protests – Did July 23 mark the start?
– Big moment ahead in Bobi Wine vs Mpuuga
– Effect of Kenya protests on Uganda
– Kagame’s ‘political phenomenon’
– UK sanctions damage Speaker Anita Among
RUNNER-UP – Nelson Kiva – New Vision
Body of work:
– Anti-Homosexuality Act: Did Russia Fund MPs?
– Muhoozi’s PLU will top 2026 elections – Mao
– What 70% increase in NRM membership in Buganda means
– What Tshisekedi’s win means for Uganda
– Why EC rejected Besigye’s PPF Party
HONOURABLE MENTION – Umaru Kashaka – New Vision
Body of work:
– 2026: What Gen. Muhoozi appointment means
– Inside Mpuuga, Bobi Wine meeting
– Mathias Mpuuga suspension: What next?
– PLU: What next as Muhoozi takes charge of UPDF?
– What Mpuuga-Bobi Wine fallout means for NUP in Buganda
***
Productive use of solar energy in agriculture
WINNER – Zakia Mrisho – Nukta Habari
– How micro financing fuels clean energy in Tanzania
RUNNER-UP – Daniel Kipchumba – County Climate News
– How solar cut Kigoro Dairy’s power bill and increased farmers’ earnings
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
Edisoni Galeba – Karagwe FM
– Makala kuhusu umemejua Karuko-Karagwe
Esau Ng’umbi – Nukta Habari
– From sunlight to harvest: Solar energy brings hopes to farmers in Iringa
Stella Ngenje – Selous FM Radio
– Solar technology in sesame
***
Public accountability reporting
WINNER – Gerald Tenywa – New Vision
Body of work:
SDGs: Is every Ugandan making progress?
Is Uganda’s growth eating the environment?
– How partnerships are driving Uganda’s sustainability
– Poverty-free by 2030: Is Uganda on track?
– SDGs on peace: What has Uganda achieved so far?
RUNNER-UP – Dan Ayebare – Solutions Now Africa
Body of work:
– Bicycles fill patient evacuation gap in rural Uganda
– Rejected and stateless: Northern Uganda’s children of war now in need of critical solutions
– The Foot that never walks away
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
Busein Samilu – Daily Monitor
Body of work:
– Museveni nails anti-graft protesters to new cross (Co-author – Franklin Draku)
– Parliament spends Shs2.6 billion every day
– Questions linger over Parliament spending
– The cost of not fighting graft on Museveni terms (Co-authors – Anthony Wesaka, Juliet Kigongo, Jane Nafula)
– This is the State of the Nation, Mr President (Co-author – Peter Serugo)
Lawrence Kizito – Bukedde
Body of work:
– Ekirina okukolebwa okununula ssente okuva mu bali b’enguzi
– Enguzi: Ebintu abagirya mwe bakweka ssente
– Enguzi: Enkalu okununula ssente za Gavt. ezibbibwa abanene
– Ssente z’obwegassi: Kiki ekisibye fayiro okutuuka mu kkooti?
***
Public works and infrastructure reporting
WINNER – Deogratius Wamala – Daily Monitor
Body of work:
– How will Uganda juggle its late entry into the SGR race?
– Lighting up the region in 2025
– Munyonyo Resort caught up in snag over govt ownership
RUNNER-UP – Esther Oluka – Daily Monitor
Body of work:
– Kiteezi tragedy: When our hearts broke
– Devastated, homeless and helpless: Survivors’ tales
– Situation on the ground two months after tragedy
– Four months after garbage disaster, Kiteezi turns into ghost town
– The IGG report that buried KCCA bosses in Kiteezi rot
***
Religion reporting
WINNER – Rosemary Anena – Radio Rupiny
Body of work:
– The long wait for closure for victims of LRA atrocities in Pagak Parish is still far from over
– Archbishop Odama recounts his 25 years of service as an archbishop
– Gulu Christians reenact Way of the Cross
– Millennials relive fond memories of Christmas
RUNNER-UP – Christopher Kisekka – Uganda Radio Network
Body of work:
– Scholars ignite debate on political dimensions of Uganda Martyrs’ deaths
– Curators correct mistaken identity of Uganda Martyrs
– Relics of Uganda Martyrs return as church marks 60 years of their sainthood
***
Science and technology reporting
WINNER – Richard Wetaya – New Vision
Body of work:
– Can Uganda use ‘friendly mosquitoes’ to eradicate malaria?
– Is green biotechnology a risk to biodiversity?
– Is Uganda, Africa ready for emerging synthetic biology technologies, experts weigh in
– Is Uganda on track to attain water, energy and food security?
– Nuclear technologies crucial for climate-resilient agriculture and sustainable food systems – experts
HONOURABLE MENTION – Irene Abalo Otto – Nation Media Group Uganda
Body of work:
– Journalism and AI
– Media sustainability in Africa: The fuss about audiences moving online
– The rise and rise of online violence on female activists in Uganda
***
Sports reporting
WINNER – Fred Mwambu – Daily Monitor
Body of work:
– Empty ambulances and the illusion of safety for athletes
– Jeremaine Egesa: From a local deejay box to the Afcon broadcast booth
– From cheering to branding: Super fans are shaping sports culture
– What Kenya FA polls can teach Fufa, Uganda going forward
– Women’s teams: A path to development or marriage of convenience?
RUNNER-UP – Ivan S. Tolit – 102 Mega FM
Body of work:
– How body building is helping ex-LRA soldiers stay away from a life of crime
– Is sexual harassment hindering the growth of female sports in Northern Uganda?
– The rise and fall of football clubs in Acholi
HONOURABLE MENTION – Abdul-Nasser Ssemugabi – Daily Monitor
Body of work:
– Unbreakable bond: Condoleezza Thembo swimming for family
– Nakabuye on touring East Africa twice, on a bike
– Arthur Serwano the silent champ
– Thando, Vusi: A couple cycling across Africa
***
Traditions and culture reporting
WINNER – Gladys Tracy Aciro – 102 Mega FM
Body of work:
– Beliefs associated with pregnancy and childbirth
– Food taboos
– Use of music in culture
RUNNER-UP – Richard Mwanje – BBS Terefayina
Body of work:
– Sseruti akulaga ddi empoomerezi ya Kabaka lw’efuuka amawa
– Obulombolombo mu kutereka Gabunga
– Oluwenda lwa Muwenda II
HONOURABLE MENTION – Ivan Tsebeni – New Vision
Body of work:
– Dancing Kadodi to the grave
– Over 1900 face knife on Saturday
– Thousands grace Imbalu festival
– Why Bagisu circumcise the dead
