Africa Uncensored's journalists triumph in the Kenya's 2023 Annual Journalism Excellence Awards- AJEA

Hi there,

Africa uncensored journalists scooped top awards in the 2023 Annual Journalism Excellence Awards(AJEA). We had a total of five nominations for the awards which were held on the 4th May 2023.

Our lead camera person Elijah Kanyi scooped all the awards he was nominated for and was further honored as the camera person of the year and Journalist of the year. John-Allan Namu, Elijah Kanyi and Clint Obere also won the best investigative story in the digital category for the piece Justice be our Shield. Cynthia Gichiri scooped two Awards, one the digital category of climate change reporting and podcast of the year award. Raquel Muigai who joined Africa Uncensored last year won an award with her first piece.

Dive in and check what the winners had to say about the awards.

Africa Uncensored's Elijah Kanyi wins Camera person of the year and Journalist of the year award in the 2023 Annual Journalism Excellence Awards

Being crowned as the ‘Cameraman of the Year’ and ‘Journalist of the Year’ awards, along with Namukabo Werungah, for our story "In search of my father" which aired on BBC Africa EYE, is an incredible honor. This achievement fills me with a sense of inexplicable elation and optimism about the many possibilities that lie ahead. While the latter award came as a surprise, the former marked my fourth nomination in the history of the AJEA, one that I have long aspired to win.

As a filmmaker, I derive immense satisfaction from being behind the camera, helping reporters convey their stories to the world. Winning these awards is not a personal victory but holds tremendous significance for my family, who now have a better understanding of the passion and dedication I bring to my work.

This year, I received a total of seven nominations, the majority of which were for collaborations with four exceptional female journalists nominated in various categories. Hellen Njeri (Investigative: Forced to beg - BBC Africa Eye), Cynthia Gichiri (Environment: Nowhere to run: Kenya's Climate change Refugees - Africa Uncensored), Raquel Muigai (ICT & Innovation: Cyber Underworld - Africa Uncensored), and Namukabo Werunga (Gender: In Search of My Father - BBC Africa Eye) have all been remarkable partners in my journalistic endeavors. I was also nominated for the Best Investigative Category for my work on "Justice be Our Shield" and the Cameraperson of the Year Category

I express my sincere gratitude to everyone who has supported my work, including my friend and our team leader at Africa Uncensored, John Allan, and the entire team at Africa Uncensored, for giving me the freedom to pursue my passion.

Africa Uncensored's Cynthia Gichiri scoops two Awards at the 2023 Annual Journalism Excellence Awards

I am joyful beyond words for winning in the digital category of climate change reporting and podcast of the year awards at AJEA 2023.

I'm thankful that the hard work and persistence put in by the Africa Uncensored team and myself in producing these two projects have paid off. Congratulations to my workmates who were named finalists and winners at the AJEA, 2023.

In the same respect, I wish to congratulate my colleagues at Africa Uncensored; Joy Kirigia, Sam Munia and Raquel Muigai who emerged winners PAJI investigative journalism Awards and KAS journalism continental awards respectively.

Raquel Muigai on her first piece for Africa Uncensored winning an Award.

The Cybercrime Underworld is a story explaining what cybercrime is all about and how to protect oneself from being victims of those who have opted to use the digital space for their conniving ways. The piece explores the issue through two characters, one who is accused of being a cybercriminal and one who was a victim of cybercrime.

It was my first story as a reporter at Africa Uncensored and the fact that it was nominated for an award is a great feeling. One senior colleague in the industry stated, “do a great impactful story that can lend itself for an award.” That reminds me that my work as a journalist is to tell stories that are meaningful to the society and not just do it for the sake of an award. Impactful storytelling, is a huge responsibility that weighs heavily on every true journalist.

Africa Uncensored's John Allan Namu on the best investigative story in the 2023 Annual Journalism Excellence Awards.

The unfortunate case of the triple murders of Willie Kimani, Josephat Mwenda and Joseph Muiruri was among the very first stories we covered as Africa Uncensored. We were barely 8 months into existence when the news of their disappearance, then their murders filtered through to us. Being able to have followed the court case right from its beginning all the way to a ruling, and report on the same is testament to the expression "the wheels of justice grind slowly but grind exceedingly fine".

The effort that went into producing this work was made by a team, and I am grateful to Elijah Kanyi, John Gathuna, Tim Mwaura and the entire AUC team for their work. I'd also like to thank the team at IJM for their openness in discussing what is a painful case, and finally the families of Willie, Josephat and Joseph for once again being willing to stare into the pain of their loss and tell their story to us.

John Allan Namu on the story of Naneu Muthoni, The Last Door; Murdered For Love

Femicide is the sad outcome of a grim and increasingly common reality in Kenya. Hundreds if not thousands of women are being abused and killed simply for being women, and the story of the late Naneu Muthoni speaks exactly to this trend. Doing this story as part of the premiere season of our series "The Last Door" was an honour and a burden all at once. The responsibility Elijah and I felt to do a good job and accurately represent the facts as we knew them was heavy, and this award is vindication of our efforts. I'm grateful for the Muturi family for giving us the opportunity to tell the story of their daughter and sister. My hope is that this award reminds all of us of our responsibility to the truth of what is happening in Kenya.

Thank you for your continued support, we couldn’t have done it without you. Follow us on our socials and subscribe to our YouTube Channel to be part of our community.

Cheers!