By Our Reporter
The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), with support from WildAid, has once again honored 13 journalists for their outstanding work in conservation journalism. The Uganda Conservation Media Awards, launched in 2023, celebrated its second edition on October 16, 2024, at a ceremony presided over by State Minister for Tourism, Hon. Martin Mugara, at Protea Hotel in Kampala.
This year, journalists from Northern Uganda emerged as the standout winners, claiming a significant share of the prize money. Seven journalists from the region received awards, with four collaborating on two stories and three winning individual accolades, collectively taking home UGX 25 million out of the UGX 65 million total prize money—38.5% of the overall pot.
The awards recognized excellence in categories including Community Conservation, Wildlife Crimes, Wildlife Protection, and Habitats and Environment. Winners came from print/online, television, and radio, with a special award for Uganda Wildlife Photograph of the Year.
Among the notable winners were:
– Richard Dramismaku (WestNile News) – Winner of the Habitats and Environment category (print/online).
– Chowoo Willy (Choice FM) – Winner in the Radio category.
– Immaculate Amony & Eddy Olwa (UBC Television) – Joint winners for Community Conservation (TV/Video) through collaborative reporting.
– Okello Jesus Ojara & Dramadri Fredrick (tndNews) – Joint winners for Community Conservation (print/online).
– Andama Victor (Voice of Madi Radio) – Winner in the Radio category for Community Conservation.
In 2023, Northern Uganda journalists claimed UGX 15 million (23.1%) after winning three radio categories. Notably, Chowoo Willy was the only journalist to win in two consecutive years, securing the same category both times. “This shows how tough the competition was,” remarked UWA Communications Manager, Bashir Hangi, while encouraging those who missed out this year to work harder for future awards.
WildAid East Africa Representative Maz Robertson noted the growing interest and competition for the awards. “We received over 100 applications this year, and the quality of stories has improved significantly,” she said, reflecting on the rigorous selection process.
UWA Executive Director, Sam Mwandha, commended the media for helping shift public perceptions about conservation. He pledged to continue supporting the Conservation Media Awards, noting the important role of journalists in raising awareness about conservation efforts. “We don’t want this to end here; we will keep investing in this initiative because it’s for a good cause. Through their stories, journalists are helping to inform and change perceptions,” he stated.
UWA Board Chairman, Prof. James Kalema, emphasized the critical role the media plays in advancing conservation efforts. He highlighted the ongoing challenges facing UWA, including climate change, human-wildlife conflicts, poaching, and habitat degradation, calling for collective action to protect Uganda’s natural resources.
Hon. Mugara thanked WildAid for their continued support of the initiative and encouraged more stakeholders to join the cause. “We dream of making these awards even bigger because very few people understand the importance of conservation. We stand behind you and will continue supporting this initiative to help address the challenges we face,” he concluded.
