Three members from IAWRT Kenya chapter won in the 2022 Annual Journalism Excellence Awards (AJEA), known as one of Kenya’s prestigious journalism awards which was established since 2012 for print, broadcast, and now digital journalism
Former IAWRT Chairperson Rachael Nakitare received the Lifetime Achievement Award for her contribution to the media development in Kenya over the years. Rachael has been involved in mega media projects locally and internationally. She was the first Kenyan journalist to interview the former President Obama at the White House.
Ruth Keah of Radio Rahma bagged three awards in three categories: ICT and Telecommunication Reporting Radio for “Gharama ya mawasiliano kwa watu wenye changamoto ya matamshi,” Innovation and Business Reporting Radio for “Programu ya ranunu inavyosaidia watu wenye ulemavu kupata ajira” and Sports Reporting Radio for “Mohammed Munga – aaupuza ulemavu na kung’aa kimataifa kwenye mchezo wa soka.” All her stories, produced in the local Swahili language, highlighted the plight as well as achievements of people with disabilities.
Senior radio journalist Lourdes Walusala of KBC English Service won in the Innovation and Business Reporting Radio category for “Recovery of women-led smes.”
The chief guest at the awards ceremony was Court of Appeal President Daniel Musinga, while Auditor General Nancy Gathungu was the Keynote speaker. MCK CEO Mr. David Omwoyo reiterated the council’s commitment to upholding and ensuring ethical journalism practice.
He said, “It is prudent for the media to provide Kenyans and media content consumers with content that is prepared professionally, that promotes, respects and adheres to the fundamental principles and global standards of journalism.”
Through the awards, the media has an opportunity to enhance its professional standards of practice and grow in its mandate as an opinion shaper and a platform for discourse.
About AJEA
Three members of the International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT)- Kenya chapter scooped top awards during the prestigious Annual Journalism Excellence Awards (AJEA) 2022. This is a signature event of the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) that recognises and celebrates excellence and professionalism in the media industry in Kenya. The awards are usually the peak of celebrations to commemorate the World Press Freedom Day marked globally on 3rd May. This year’s event was particularly significant, marking ten years since the inception of AJEA in 2012.
Winners of these awards submit their stories on broadcast, print and digital platforms after which a panel of judges who then determine the winning stories. The stories must have been published or broadcast over the last one calendar year. Judges often look for innovative stories and investigative journalism that goes beyond the obvious, the ordinary, the expected, and the regular. They look for journalism that puts issues in context and in perspective, thereby making sense of issues of public interest.. The stories cut across radio, television, print and digital platforms . The MCK also presents the Life Time Achievement Award to persons who have shown significant contribution to the media industry at large.
The Council has held AJEA since 2012, with this year’s event marking ten years of its existence.
The awards are a continuous annual recognition and celebration of journalistic excellence and achievement in Kenya. The awards aim to identify, celebrate and maintain excellence in journalism and the media industry in general. It also endeavors to recognise journalists who have demonstrated high standards of reportage and ethics in their work and challenge them to achieve the highest standards of ethics in the profession and practice of journalism. The awards also identify areas of capacity, need for journalists and media practitioners to maintain standards of excellence in the profession. The awards also works to motivate young journalists to seek to excel in their work and grow in the profession and inspire journalists to play their role in upholding democracy, integrity and accountability in society.
The Media Council of Kenya is the guardian for the code of ethics and practice of journalism in the country. The Council is also expected to ensure that journalism standards are upheld and gaps identified in the practice of journalism are mitigated through capacity building.