Four Nation Media Group journalists feted at EAC media awards

Daily Nation reporter Joshua Masinde at a past award ceremony. PHOTO | FILE  NATION MEDIA GROUP

In Summary

• Aby Agina, Christabel Ligami, Joshua Masinde and Patrick Mayoyo honoured
• Other journalists from Burundi, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda were also feted at the ceremony

By Nation Reporter
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Four Nation Media Group journalists were among those honoured during the East African Community media awards held in Kampala over the weekend.

NTV business reporter Aby Agina emerged the overall winner of the coveted Secretary General’s award at a colourful dinner ceremony graced by Uganda’s Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi in Kampala.

Others who won prizes include business writers Christabel Ligami of The East African and Joshua Masinde of the Daily Nation as well as the Nation’s Deputy News Editor Patrick Mayoyo.

Ligami bagged two awards in two categories; the EAC-EABC Chairman award and the Health award. Masinde clinched the Best Agriculture and Food Security award. Each was awarded a trophy, a Samsung tablet, a certificate and a cash prize.

Agina’s two-part series story titled the Untold Tales of Truck Drivers that was aired on NTV sought to highlight the plight that truck drivers face across the region.

The feature saw him and cameraman James Opiyo travel on a cargo truck from the port of Mombasa to Kampala to establish the challenges that traders face while ferrying goods across the five EAC member states.

The report brought to light the deeply rooted bureaucracies at border points and rampant corruption.

“We had a hard time sifting through the numerous entries submitted by the journalists. Eventually we came to a consensus and picked the best. The story exhibited courage, creativity and passion,” noted Jenerali Ulimwengu, who headed a six-member judges’ panel.

Other journalists from Burundi, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda were also feted at the ceremony.

NURTURE JOURNALISTS

EAC Secretary General Ambassador Richard Sezibera said the awards are an important part of nurturing young journalists to report on critical integration issues in the region.

“We shall continue awarding journalists who demonstrate their commitment in churning out reports on the progress of the integration process,” Amb. Sezibera said.

Uganda’s Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi said journalism plays a key role in driving the integration agenda.

“These excellence awards are a clear indication that there is a growing interest among journalists to competently report on EAC matters even as regional integration continues to gain momentum,” Mr. Mbabazai said