Wonderful CNN/MultiChoice African Journalist 2009 Award Memory

When I learnt, in February 2009, that the editors of two top East African publications had independently nominated a total of four of my articles for the CNN/MultiChoice 2009 African Journalist Awards 2009 I was thrilled. Thrilled because this prestigious competition is the benchmark for journalism on the continent and just the thought of my work being nominated was very encouraging. The articles are: Strength of a Woman (about how women in war-torn northern Uganda have been living their lives after the 2005 LRA ceasefire), Kampala's Thirsty Artist (about Kampala's skillful sculptor), Corrupted Childhood (about challenges children in war-torn Uganda face), published in African Woman and Mountains of the Moon (hiking Mt. Rwenzori) published in Twende (a travel magazine). Then the waiting began.

We all enter competitions because we or the people who know our work believe we have what it takes to win it. Regardless or what competition, two scenarios are expected, always: a win ora loss. In June I learnt that even though the entries were good I had not made it to the list of 25 finalists. I was gutted. But that does not mean that losing this time round will take away the feeling and memory that I had when I first learnt that I had even been thought of as a good contestant for the prestigious award.

I learnt that the stories that grabbed the judges attention in 2009 were sad stories about violence in Kenya after the disputed presidential elections of December 2007 and the xenophobic attacks that set South Africa aflame in 2008. None of these were the positive kind that I was trying to potray in my articles such as Strength of a Woman.

My consolation came a few weeks later when I learnt that another Kenyan, a broadcaster with Kenya Television News, John-Allan Namu, whose story was published in Issue No. 3 of African Woman of the Month, pg. 110 won in two categories and was the overall winner. I followed the ceremony from the comfort of my living room. I heard his stories and saw the clips; good stuff. I join the rest of the world in congratulating John-Allan on becoming the 2009 CNN/MultiChoice African Journalist.

* Nominee means a finalist who could potentially win in a given category.