20100527
africa news

The crème de la crème of Africa's media are gathering in Uganda's capital Kampala for the prestigious 2010 CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards on Saturday. Already some of the 27 finalists from 15 countries had started arriving. They include Uganda's Halima Abdallah Kisule of The EastAfrican and NTV sports reporter Leon Ssenyange.


Maggie Eales, the senior vice-president and managing director of Turner Broadcasting (owners of CNN) and teams from London and South Africa have been in the country since last week, overseeing preparations, according to AfricaNews reporter.

The first ceremony took place in Ghana on August 11, 1995, with six winners, including Ugandan Erich Ogoso Opolot. Besides 1996 when there was no award ceremony because of the death of Mohamed Amin, the award ceremony has since been held annually. Over the years, the number of categories increased to 17, the entrants to 975 and the entries to over 2,000.

The award also opens career opportunities. Hopewell Chin’ono, overall winner 2008 reels off career opportunities that were jump-started by his winning. He said after he won, ITV News London employed him as its television producer while in Zimbabwe e.tv’s enews asked him to be “their man in Harare”.

He also went ahead to produce documentaries like Inside Africa Special for CNN International and the Last White Man for Greece’s National Television Exandas. He has been a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University, a fellowship he defines as prestigious.

President Museveni is expected to preside over the annual gala, following in the footsteps of leaders like Mozambique’s Armando Guebuza and Joaquim Chissano, South Africa’s Thabo Mbeki and Ghana’s John Kufuor, who previously graced the prestigious event.