The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Thirty per cent of the top accolades at this year’s Uganda National Journalism Awards were earned for coverage of the most pressing issue of the past two years – the COVID-19 pandemic.
Education was one area most impacted by the pandemic, and an analysis “COVID-19 complicates education” by The Independent’s Isaac Khisa led the way, as seven out of the 20 top awards went to coverage of matters related to the Coronavirus still ravaging the world.
Khisa’s story, described by the awards’ panel of judges as “well-researched, well-sourced and engaging storytelling for one of the most pressing issues of the past two years,” shows how the pandemic widened the education gap as it impacted rural and disadvantaged children further.
Another celebration of excellence. Thank you @ACME_Uganda for honoring me at the #UNJA21 award under the #InvestigativeJournalism category. The investigative story “The Ayes have it” which i did while at @nbstv took the day. Congrats to everyone who won today. pic.twitter.com/19aNnikWNY
— Solomon Serwanjja (@SolomonSerwanjj) December 21, 2021
The other big winner covering COVID-19 was Solomon Serwanjja and Joshua Mujjunga of NBS TV for the story, “The Ayes Have It” that took the top prize in e Investigative Reporting category. Their’s was a story of how Members of Parliament allocated themselves billions of shillings that had not been budgeted for purpotedly to help in the fight to control COVID-19.
Other winners in other categories (full list bottom) with stories on COVID-19, included Frank Walusimbi, NTV Uganda – The impact of Covid-19 on the arts; Nobert Atukunda, Daily Monitor – Covid data contradicts EC campaign freeze claims; Daniel Lutaaya & Godfrey Badebye, NBS Television – 15 days with Covid ; Samuel Ssenono, UBC Television – Detecting Uganda’s first Covid-19 case and Collins Rukundo, Songa Stone Mwesigwa & Victor Opira, Storyteld – We flew a drone over a locked down Kampala in the middle of the day and this is what we saw.
Another story that caught the attention of the judges was the fire at Makerere, that earned two awards while New Vision journalist Gerald Tenywa also took two awards for his coverage of energy and environment issues.
According to the African Centre for Media Excellence (ACME), organisers of the event since 2014, the awards “celebrate and promote exceptional, in-depth and enterprising journalism that informs public debate and holds the powerful 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.”
Head of the panel of judges JB Wasswa in his remarks noted that there is still a shortage of creativity in storytelling. “The way we presented news in 1996 is the way many are still presenting it. The use of new digital journalism tools is minimal,” he said.
Board chairperson of the ACME Susan Nsibirwa hailed the winners, and said the awards were a stepping stone to even greater works from them. “What do journalists get out of these awards? We note that winners of the awards in the past have seen an advancement in their career. They have also enjoyed an ability to compete for and win international awards,” she said.
According to ACME, 147 journalists participated in the awards held at Mestil Hotel in Kampala, up from 123 the previous year. About one third of the participating journalists are based in towns and cities outside Kampala.
A panel of 13 judges drawn from the media, academia and public communications adjudicated the entries. The members of the panel are:
- Mr Benon Herbert Oluka – Editor, Global Investigative Journalism Network Africa
- Dr Emily Maractho – Head of Department of Journalism and Media Studies, Uganda Christian University
- Ms Evelyn Kiapi – Communications and public relations specialist
- Mr John Baptist Wasswa – Media development and communication specialist
- Ms Laura Walusimbi – Corporate Communications Manager, Uganda Coffee Development Authority
- Ms Lydia Namubiru – Digital and data journalism specialist
- Ms Patience Atuhaire – Senior Broadcast Journalist at BBC News
- Mr Paul Kimumwe – Senior Programme Officer, CIPESA
- Ms Rose Mary Kemigisha – Senior Human Rights Officer/Editor, Uganda Human Rights Commission
- Mr Richard Kavuma – Communications specialist
- Dr Sara Namusoga-Kaale – Lecturer, Department of Journalism and Communication, Makerere University
- Mr Simon Kaheru – Public Affairs and Communications Director, Coca-Cola Beverages
- Dr Wairagala Wakabi – Executive Director, CIPESA
List of category winner (bold)
| AGRICULTURE | John Okeya, The Cooperator Magazine – Post-harvest handling: What do farmers need to know? |
| Julius Odeke, Transformation Magazine – Farmers in Teso paradise of oranges agonise over glut | |
| Paul Murungi, Daily Monitor – Pearl Dairy dilemma: Farmers stare at a bleak future | |
| Stuart Twinomujuni, Urban TV – Fighting unemployment using banana fingers | |
| ARTS | Daniel Lutaaya & Thomas Kitimbo, NBS Television – Party after party in the lockdown |
| Frank Walusimbi, NTV Uganda – The impact of Covid-19 on the arts | |
| John Vianney Nsimbe, The Observer – How Philly Lutaaya became the Grinch that stole his children’ Christmas | |
| Joseph Sabiti, NBS Television – Arts and politics | |
| BUSINESS, FINANCE & ECONOMY | George Katongole, Daily Monitor – A fish business born out of lockdown blues |
| Lydia Nabakooza, Sswaliki Ssali & Hassan Wasswa, NBS Television – The Kenya-Uganda trade war | |
| Patricia Akankwatsa, The Independent – Coronavirus catastrophe | |
| Paul Murungi, Daily Monitor – What can Uganda do with her milk surplus? | |
| Robert Atuhairwe, New Vision – Oil industry: FID delay hits local companies hard | |
| DATA JOURNALISM | Blanshe Musinguzi & Stanley Ebele, Uganda Radio Network – Between indecisiveness and thumbprint lies |
| Jonan Tusingwire & Felix Basiime, InfoNile – Karangura: Caught between the dual danger of Covid-19 and a water crisis | |
| Martin Luther Oketch, Daily Monitor – How Covid-19 has hit financial markets | |
| Nobert Atukunda, Daily Monitor – Covid data contradicts EC campaign freeze claims | |
| EDUCATION | Culton Scovia Nakamya, BBS Terefayina – Okusoma mu muggalo |
| Damali Muhakye, Daily Monitor – Makerere University gowns crisis | |
| Sam Ogwal Alero, Voice of Lango – Covid-19 edutele learning | |
| Isaac Khisa, The Independent – Covid-19 complicates education | |
| ENERGY & EXTRACTIVES | Dennis Sigoa, UBC Television – Mwelo Rock land acquisition saga |
| Gerald Tenywa, New Vision – Concerns raised over the crude oil pipeline | |
| Lydia Nabakooza, Sswaliki Ssali & Hassan Wasswa, NBS Television – The rich but poor Kilembe mines | |
| Samuel Sanya, New Vision – Mbkumbku to give way for Nyagak III works | |
| ENVIRONMENT | Franklin Ezaruku Draku, Daily Monitor – Lake Victoria pollution series |
| Gerald Tenywa, New Vision – Save Bugoma Forest series | |
| Henry Okurut, UBC Television – Homeless creatures: UWA stuck with 1000 wild birds at Parliament | |
| Mark Arnold Wadulo, UBC Television – Human-wildlife conflict resolution in national tourism parks | |
| EXPLANATORY REPORTING | Canary Mugume, NBS Television – Ivory Tower in flames – What happened that day? |
| Dennis Sigoa, UBC Television – Uganda’s iconic buildings, sites and monuments under threat | |
| Nobert Atukunda & Isaac Mufumba, Daily Monitor – Money spent in the name of coronavirus | |
| Robert Atuhairwe, New Vision – Chimp attacks worry Hoima residents | |
| FEATURES | Christopher Oola, Mega FM – Fate of children born in LRA captivity |
| Culton Scovia Nakamya, BBS Terefayina – Underrepresentation? What has changed about disability and politics | |
| Irene Abalo Otto, Daily Monitor – Scars of the LRA war series | |
| Kalungi Kabuye, New Vision – Covid-19 lockdown – Will the slay generation survive? | |
| HEALTH | Agnes Kyotalengerire & Ritah Mukasa, New Vision – Blood shortage |
| Benard Yiga, UBC Television – Safe births amidst Covid-19: Celebrating midwives saving lives of mothers and babies | |
| Betty Amamukirori & Violet Nabatanzi, New Vision – Mulago doctors explain first successful Siamese operation | |
| Daniel Lutaaya & Godfrey Badebye, NBS Television – 15 days with Covid | |
| David Mafabi, PML Daily – Postpartum hemorrhage, leading cause of maternal mortality | |
| Michael Wambi, Uganda Radio Network – Preeclampsia: The silent but dangerous women and neonatal killer in Uganda | |
| INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING | Daniel Lutaaya & Godfrey Badebye, NBS Television – The Milkshake: Inside a gang of extortionists |
| Halima Abdallah Kisule, Daily Monitor – Inside Uganda’s complex gold trade | |
| Irene Abalo Otto, Daily Monitor – Alleged sexual abuse of deaf girls puts officials on spot | |
| Solomon Serwanjja & Joshua Mujjunga, NBS Television – The ayes have it | |
| JUSTICE, LAW & ORDER | Carol Kasujja, Joseph Makumbi & Michael Odeng, New Vision – City pastor cited in baby swap (serial) |
| Jamila Mulindwa, NBS Television – Obuliisa maanyi e Rukungiri | |
| Lillian Namusoke Magezi, New Vision – How Covid-19 affected women in Uganda | |
| Sabir Musa, Radio Pacis – Jennifer seeking justice months after beating by security guard (series) | |
| LOCAL REPORTING | Eddy Olwa, NBS Television – Lira-Kamdini Road a nightmare |
| Herbert Kamoga, NTV Uganda – Domestic violence: Nakaseke mother of 7 sleeping in the cold with her children | |
| John Dibaba, Radio Pacis – How the Nurse of the Year 2020 rose to the limelight | |
| John Okot & Jesse Muto, NUMEC – Gulu’s eco-entrepreneurs melt plastic waste into low-cost coronavirus face shields | |
| Sabir Musa, Radio Pacis – The impact of rock blasting activity by Dott Services Limited on the community in Oluko sub-county | |
| NATIONAL NEWS – BROADCAST | Benjamin Jumbe, KFM – Defilement report (series) |
| Culton Scovia Nakamya, BBS Terefayina – Porous borders: Can Uganda survive the Covid-19 pandemic? | |
| Godfrey Badebye & Daniel Lutaaya, NBS Television – The hands that fed us | |
| Samuel Ssenono, UBC Television – Detecting Uganda’s first Covid-19 case | |
| NATIONAL NEWS – PRINT | Carol Kasujja & Umar Nsubuga, New Vision – MAK fire: Why police should not burn alone |
| Franklin Ezaruku Draku, Daily Monitor – Covid-19 promises: What went wrong with implementation | |
| Gerald Tenywa, New Vision – Lake Victoria under threat as key city drainage wetland is invaded | |
| Ian Katusiime, The Independent – Museveni action on army shootings | |
| NEWS ILLUSTRATION | Walter Mwesigye, NTV Uganda – River Nyamwamba bursts banks, forces Kilembe Hospital evacuation |
| PHOTO & VIDEO JOURNALISM | Abubaker Lubowa, Daily Monitor – Drawing the lines |
| Nicholas Bamulanzeki, The Observer – Ugly side of the Pearl of Africa | |
| Collins Rukundo, Songa Stone Mwesigwa & Victor Opira, Storyteld – We flew a drone over a locked down Kampala in the middle of the day and this is what we saw | |
| Stuart Yiga, Bukedde – On the campaign trail with Patrick Oboi Amuriat | |
| POLITICS | Benard Yiga, UBC Television – The impact of Kyagulanyi and the People Power wave on Uganda’s politics |
| Christopher Oola, Mega FM – Voter bribery in Acholi sub-region | |
| Paul Kayonga, NBS Television – Gang of 7 | |
| Paul Kayonga & Godfrey Badebye, NBS Television – The NUP dilemma | |
| PUBLIC WORKS & INFRASTRUCTURE | Canary Mugume, NBS Television – Uganda’s infrastructure crisis |
| Samuel Sanya & Shamim Saad, New Vision – Kampala flyover construction: Project expanded, to take longer | |
| Simon Ssemazzi, Urban TV – Uganda gets first Airbus | |
| SPORTS | Baker Lwesabula, BBS Terefayina – Omuzibe azannya ebikonde |
| Javier Silas Omagor, Step FM – Mbale’s rotting cricket talent | |
| Olivia Nakate, Urban TV – Female athletes and menstruation: The unspoken battle among female athletes | |
| Solomon Ssaka, NBS Television – Wonder kid | |
