The African Centre for Media Excellence (ACME) has released a list of journalists that have qualified for the final scrutiny for this year’s awards.
According to a press release by ACME, the organiser of the awards, the finalists were selected out of 155 participants who submitted 260 entries.
“We are impressed by the significant increase in overall number of submissions (17 per cent) over last year from journalists across different media platforms,” Mr Peter Mwesige, the organisation’s executive director, said.
“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. A number of Monitor Publications Ltd and NTV journalists are among the list.
“The entries we have seen generally show a positive trend towards more in-depth reporting on a whole range of issues,” Mr George Lugalambi, the head of the panel of judges, said.
“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,” Mr Lugalambi added.
D-day
This year’s winners will be announced at a gala dinner in Kampala on April 8.
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.
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 sponsor different journalism awards to come together under the umbrella of the Uganda National Journalism Awards,” Mr Mwesige said, adding: “We hope others will follow suit.”
The list of journalists
Journalists Media House
Adiah Nakuti UBC
Isaac Khisa East African
Tyaba A Ssettumba NBS
Caroline Ariba New Vision
Shamim N Kabuye Weinformers.
Stephen Ssenkaaba New Vision
John Isingoma Weinformers.net
John Semakula
John Masaba New Vision
Racheal Ninsiima The Observer
Jane N Bukenya Campus Times
Andrew Arinaitwe Channel44
Carol Natukunda
Robert Atuhairwe New Vision
Edward Ssekika The Observer
Florence Naluyimba NTV Uganda
Gerald Tenywa New Vision
Ronald Musoke The Independent
Andrew Masinde New Vision
Frank Walusimbi NTV Uganda
Petride Mudoola New Vision
Stephen Ssenkaaba New Vision
Bamuturaki Musinguzi Daily Monitor
Florence Naluyimba NTV Uganda
Jimmy Kwo Daily Monitor Solomon Serwanja NTV Uganda Paul Paul Menya Daily Monitor
Stephen Wandera Daily Monitor
Edris Kiggundu The Observer
Flavia Nassaka The Independent
Bernard Yiga UBC Television
Franklin Ezaruku Draku URN
Bakhit Hafiz Radio Pacis
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
John Semakula – New Vision
Pascal Kwesiga – New Vision
Stephen Ssenkaaba – New Vision
FRENCH VERSION
“We are impressed by the significant increase in overall number of submissions (17 per cent) over last year from journalists across different media platforms,” Mr Peter Mwesige, the organisation’s executive director, said.
“The entries we have seen generally show a positive trend towards more in-depth reporting on a whole range of issues,” Mr George Lugalambi, the head of the panel of judges, said.
D-day
The list of journalists
Journalists Media House
