KTN anchor Nancy Kacungira bags BBC award on African issues

Nancy Kacungira

KTN News Anchor Nancy Kacungira has won the BBC World News Komla Dumor Award.

Ms Kacungira impressed the judges with her well-rounded knowledge of the complex issues facing Africa and her awareness of the challenges involved in covering the continent.

“Her passion for telling Africa’s diverse stories and challenging preconceived stereotypes reflect Komla’s own devotion to the continent and, as part of his legacy, Kacungira will be able to share her enthusiasm with the BBC’s global audience,” read a statement to newsrooms yesterday.

She will be joining the BBC News teams in London for a three-month placement starting in September.

The placement provides an opportunity to gain skills and experience working with teams at BBC News on TV, radio and online reaching the BBC’s audience of 308 million across the world.

The award was set up in honour of presenter Komla Dumor who passed away in January 2014 and aims to continue his legacy by celebrating African journalism and finding exceptional talent.

Kacungira, a Ugandan citizen, joined KTN in Kenya in 2013 as an anchor for prime time news and has reported from Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya.

extremely passionate

“I have always believed deeply and resolutely in the immense power and potential of Africa and Africans, and Komla Dumor was for me, one of the best examples of that; not just in his body of work, but in his personality too,” said Kacungira.

“When Komla Dumor died, it was an enormous loss to the BBC, to the coverage of Africa and to all of us. I am delighted that in Kacungira we have found an extremely passionate and talented journalist, a worthy winner of the award that we established in Komla’s name,” said BBC News and Current Affairs Director James Harding.

The judging panel included BBC Global News Editor Vera Kwakofi, BBC Foreign Editor Andrew Roy and the Editor for the Mail and Guardian in Africa Charles Onyango-Obbo.