Vision Group journalist wins prestigious award

Jun 11, 2015

GERALD Tenywa, a senior environmental reporter at the New Vision won the prestigious Nile Media Award 2015

By Cecilia Okoth

 

GERALD Tenywa, a senior environmental reporter at the New Vision has won the prestigious Nile Media Award 2015.

 

The award organised by the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) recognizes excellent reporting on the World’s longest river, the Nile was handed over to Tenywa at dinner-gala at Gaspar Hotel, Dodoma in Tanzania on Thursday last week.

 

Tenywa’s article titled “River erosion: Uganda losing land to Congo” which was published in Sunday Vision of March 22nd was considered by a panel of judges as the best article in the print category of the Nile Media Awards. 

 

The article explored how lack of a plan for sustainable development has caused River Semuliki in western Uganda to change its course displacing hundreds of people. Semuliki is also the boundary between Uganda and DR Congo.

 

The judging panel applauded the story, which addressed multi-dimensional aspects including human, economic and environmental views.  

 

“I thank the Government for promoting media freedom and freedom of speech that has enabled my colleagues and I to cover a sector with multiple actors within government and outside government," Tenywa said in his acceptance speech.

 

Tenywa makes a speech after receiving the award at a dinner-gala held at Gaspar Hotel, Dodoma in Tanzania

Professor Ephraim Kamuntu, the Minister of Water and Environment said he felt proud that a Ugandan reporter was being recognized for factual reporting on River Nile.

 

In the radio category, Secilia Ndabigeze from Tanzania received an award for Best Radio Programme. Her winning story highlighted what the different countries were doing to overcome the problem of water hyacinth on Lake Victoria.

 

The 1st runners-up were Mona Abdelhalim Eid Sewilam from Egypt in the print category and Claver Hakizimana from Burundi in the radio category respectively.

 

Tenywa got a plaque, certificate and an all-expenses paid trip to a specific part of the Nile Basin or NBI facilitated project (NBI with support from GIZ) whereas Ndabigeze was offered a scholarship at radio Deutsche Welle in Germany. Mona received an ipad while Hakizimana got a radio recorder.

 

The entries considered were under themes: Cooperation with the Nile member states, water, environment, energy, climate change, agriculture, health, tourism, regional economic integration, hydro-diplomacy.

 

NBI which is an intergovernmental framework of 11 countries organized the Nile Media Awards in partnership with Deutsche Welle Akademie, GIZ, Global Water Partnership Eastern Africa and the Nile Basin Discourse.

 

NBI members are Uganda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan and Tanzania.

 

The Executive Director of the NBI Secretariat, John Rao Nyaoro, said that engaging the media, keeping them informed through robust communication and participation has been given due emphasis as one of the building blocks of NBI. 

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