Two Kenyan journalists, Asha Mwilu and Rashid Idi, have won the top prize in the 2016 CNN MultiChoice African Journalist awards. The two won the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist of the Year award for their work on the documentary ‘Terror Crossing’. The documentary focused on the security at the Kenya-Somali border in Mandera county. The documentary was aired on KTN, where they both work.
The two also won in the News Impact Award category. Mwilu and Idi, together with the other finalists received a cash prize and a tablet. As the overall winners, they received a further cash prize and will also get to participate in the CNN Journalism Fellowship at the CNN Headquarters in Atlanta.
Other Kenyans who had been nominated for the awards but did not win this year are:
- Isaac Otidi Amuke, Commonwealth Writers, Kenya – Features Award
- Cheboite Kigen, Daily Nation Newspaper, Kenya – Mohamed Amin Photographic Award
- Dominic Omondi, The Standard, Kenya – Ecobank Economics & Business Award
The CNN MultiChoice African Journalist 2016 competition is now in its 21st year and is open to African professional journalists, whether directly employed or freelancers, working in Africa who have produced a story which has been made available as a printed publication or broadcast through an electronic medium (television; radio or digital platform) whose primary audience are based in Africa. The judges for this year’s awards were:
- Ferial Haffajee, Chair of the Judging Panel & Former Editor-in-Chief, City Press, South Africa
- Debo Adesina, Editor-in-Chief, Guardian Newspapers, Nigeria
- Jean-Paul Gérouard, Former Editor-in-Chief, France Télévisions
- Eleni Giokos, Africa Correspondent, CNN
- Fernando Gonçalves, Editor, Savana, Mozambique
- Anton Harber, Editor-in-Chief, eNCA, South Africa
- Joel Kibazo, Media & Public Affairs Consultant
- Amadou Mahtar Ba, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman, AllAfrica Global Media
- Wanja Njuguna, Senior Lecturer, Namibia University of Science & Technology & CNN Journalist of the year 2000
- David Ohito, Digital Editor, The Standard Media Group, Kenya
- José Sebastião Paulo, Professor of Journalism, University Agostinho Neto, Angola.
The winning documentary, Terror Crossing, by the Kenyan duo can be watched below
The full list of winners is also below:
1.Environment award winner
John Grobler, Namibia, & Fiona Macleod, Oxpeckers Investigative Environmental Journalism, South Africa
2. CULTURE AWARD winner
Ati Metwaly, Al Ahram Weekly, Egypt
3. DOW TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION REPORTING AWARD winner
Chika Oduah, Nigeria, Freelance for African Media Initiative, Kenya
4. ECOBANK ECONOMICS & BUSINESS AWARD winner
Diana Neille, Richard Poplak, Shaun Swingler & Sumeya Gasa, Daily Maverick Chronicle, South Africa
5. FEATURES AWARD winner
Mia Malan, Mail & Guardian, South Africa
6. FRANCOPHONE GENERAL NEWS AWARD – ELECTRONIC MEDIA winner
Bidossèssi Appolinaire Agoïnon, Office de Radiodiffusion et Télévision du Bénin, Benin
7. FRANCOPHONE GENERAL NEWS AWARD – PRINT winner
Faten Hayed, El Watan, Algeria
8. GE ENERGY & INFRASTRUCTURE AWARD winner
Jay Caboz, Forbes Africa, South Africa
9. MOHAMED AMIN PHOTOGRAPHIC AWARD winner
James Oatway, The Sunday Times, South Africa
10. HEALTH & MEDICAL AWARD Winner
Veronica Narkwor Kwabla, Tv3 Network, Ghana
11. NEWS IMPACT AWARD Winners
Asha Ahmed Mwilu & Rashid Idi, Kenya Television Network, Kenya
12. PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE GENERAL NEWS AWARD – Print winner
Bento Venâncio, Jornal Domingo, Mozambique
13. PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE GENERAL NEWS AWARD – Electronic Media Winner
Fidelto Emidio Bata, STV, Mozambique
14. PRESS FREEDOM AWARD recipient
Bob Rugurika, Burundi
15. SPORT REPORTING AWARD Winners
Yemisi Akinbobola, Ogechi Ekeanyanwu & Paul Bradshaw, IQ4News for Premium Times, Nigeria
16. THE MAGGIE EALES YOUNG JOURNALIST AWARD winner
Ancillar Mangena, Forbes Africa, South Africa