2 Ugandan journalists nominated for CNN awards

Two Ugandan journalists are among the 27 finalists for the prestigious CNN MultiChoice African Journalism awards 2010.
Ms Halima Abdallah Kisule of the East African Newspaper and Mr Leon Ssenyange of NTV Uganda were selected from over 975 journalists across 40 countries.

The awards, now in the 15th year, recognise excellence in journalism in Africa. Announcing the finalists, Mr Joel Kibazo, the chair of the independent judging panel said: “2010 is a record breaking year for entries. Not only do the numbers continue to grow each year, but the standard rises too.

I was impressed by the increasing number of journalists that crossed borders in pursuit of stories. This maturing of journalism, across the continent, combined with technological advances, created a greater body of work and made the awards more exciting to judge.”

“The competition is now truly established as a way for African journalists to better their lives. I firmly believe the quality and number of people entering reflects the fact that the awards offer a fantastic opportunity to change an individual’s future.”

Categories
Journalists from across the continent competed in 16 categories including Arts & Culture, Economics & Business, Environment, Free Press, HIV/Aids, Photography, Health & Medical, Print News, Radio News, Sport, TV Features, and News Bulletin.

Ugandan journalists who have previously won the awards include Simon Kasyate, Barbara Angopa, Carol Nakazibwe, Musinguzi Bamuturaki and Richard Kavuma.

The award ceremony will be in Kampala on May 29.