Parliament has been recognised for its support towards the 2023 Uganda National Journalism Awards (UNJA) gala that took place on Wednesday at Sheraton Hotel, Kampala.

The August House was a premium sponsor for this year’s journalism awards organised by the African Centre for Media Excellence (ACME), a non-profit organization that strives to promote media excellence in Uganda.

During the awards ceremony, Parliament received a noble certificate of honour and appreciation from ACME Executive Director, Dr George Lugalambi for its invaluable sponsorship of the awards.

The certificate was warmly received by staff from the Department of Communication and Public Affairs (CPA) who graced the colourful event.

On behalf of the Clerk to Parliament, the Director, CPA, Chris Obore said that Parliament will continue supporting ACME in building capacity for journalists and organising such annual awards.
 “Parliament is very proud to associate with ACME in organising journalism awards because improving the capacity of journalism and motivating them to do deeper and impactful stories is a noble thing to do,” Obore said.

Obore addresses the guests at the awards ceremony

With journalism experience spanning over 20 years, Obore advised the new crop of practitioners to stick to the Journalist’s Creed in order to uphold the profession and build public trust.
“We need journalism that is committed to the truth, fairness and balance in holding public officials and society generally accountable,” he said.

Obore added, “Most times, journalists have talked ahead of facts and this causes problems. But I want to thank journalists who have done their best. They wake up every day to look for the truth.”

H.E Jan Sadek, the Ambassador of the European Union (EU) to Uganda who was the chief guest at the gala, underscored the importance of media in giving a voice to the voiceless and promoting accountability in the usage of public and development funding.
“A robust media sector is critical for our society; it fosters good governance and transparency and empowers citizens to participate actively in society and advocate for change,” he said.
Sadek added that strong media is a cornerstone of development and one of the pillars of a democratic society.

The winners in the different catergories with Amb. Sadek(C) after receiving their accolades

He said the EU remains committed to supporting independent media in access to information and quality journalism.

This year’s journalism awards attracted 262 entries with 183 journalists participating in the 15 category contest.

The winners of each of the categories scooped prestigious accolades and certificates with a cash bonanza of Shs1.5m while the first runners-up received Shs500,000.

The Uganda National Journalism Awards were launched nine years ago by ACME to acknowledge and motivate exceptional journalism that informs the public, encourages citizen participation and holds those in power accountable.