On a bright Wednesday evening last week, an enthralling video was going round on the Northern Uganda Media Club (NUMEC) WhatsApp group: two journalists, Rosemary Anena and Johnisani Ocakacon, who are NUMEC members, were dancing to the convulsive local beats of Acholi traditional music— Lakubukubu. Seven NUMEC members had excelled at the 2025 Uganda National Journalism Awards (UNJA) in their respective categories: three winners, two runners-up, and two “honourable mentions” at the glitzy media event in Kampala.
And as the journalists danced, jubilated, and ululated, several congratulatory messages continuously streamed in from their colleagues.
In recent years, several journalists from northern Uganda, and to be specific, those from the NUMEC, have consistently excelled at the national, continental and global awards. Last year, dozens of journalists won several media accolades in various media competitions.
This year at the 2025 UNJA gala, NUMEC journalists raised our flag higher again. We reached out to each one of them to understand how they did it, their feelings, and the advice they would give to other reporters to excel. In short, our question was simple: What made them tick?
WINNERS
Rosemary Anena – Radio Rupiny (Winner – Religion Reporting)
It was Anena’s first time to consistently report about religion as a beat. Her victory is a testament that with dedication, commitment and teamwork, one can win in the competitive newsroom.
“As a journalist, I have learnt the value of being obedient, hardworking, and working as a team. I always reach out to my colleagues when I need help,” she says.
Adding that “I could not single-handedly win this award without the help of my supervisors in the newsroom and the continuous support from NUMEC. I believe that working collaboratively as a team is crucial since we can learn from each other…”
“I would also like to appreciate my sources for trusting me to tell their stories…”
“As journalists, let’s go the extra mile to tell our stories; let’s think outside the box. Let’s go beyond telling hard news; let’s give time to our sources—and most importantly, let’s invest in ourselves by learning new skills. I will help build our brands as journalists…”
Simon Wokorach – The Cooperator Magazine, and Uganda Radio Network (Winner – Environment Reporting)
From being a “court reporter” to rigorously and consistently reporting about health and now the environment, Wokorach’s story is one that shows that journalists armed with passion can rediscover themselves, be flexible, and excel highly in other beats with time.
“I was recognised for my reporting, thanks to working closely with the community. I didn’t win the award; the voice of the people from the community did. The community entrusted me with their voices because they understood the issues affecting them, and an award emerged out of it.”
“Determination and courage are things that helped cover some of the nefarious dealings and sensitive issues surrounding the destruction of the environment. Because of my reporting, I even received death threats—on phone and face-to-face…”
“It is important to work with your community and to put their voices at the forefront in your reporting…”
“We should learn to network with sources and also work as a team with our colleagues in the newsroom…”
“We should also take advantage of the short training workshops since they help us polish our journalistic skills every day in the ever-evolving media landscape.”
Gladys Tracy Aciro – 102 Mega FM (Winner – Traditions and culture reporting)
Ms. Gladys’s meticulous nature, dedication, and careful examination of the prerequisites needed to stand out among the nominees made her shine bright in the recent journalism award ceremony.
“I almost gave up when [I submitted] my stories for two years and I wasn’t’ shortlisted. But I sat down and I went through the categories; I realised that few journalists were applying for the ‘culture and tradition’ category…”
“I made sure that I concentrated on that beat and I made sure that I did quality features on culture. I also made sure that I localised the beat by weaving it with Acholi beliefs, music, taboos, rituals, and myths. I also made sure that I spiced up my radio features with sound effects to engage the listeners. My goal was to educate the public…”
“I also made sure that the local issues in Acholi culture intersected with our day-to-day lives on mundane topics such as nutrition, marriage, wellbeing, and so forth.”
“For long, we have been seeing men from this side (Acholi sub-region) winning. I am happy that this time two ladies were recognised…”
“My advice is simple: don’t give up. Choose a topic that you are passionate about and do quality stories. I applied twice for the award, and I almost gave up. My colleague encouraged me to push on, and now I am happy that I won.”
Other recognitions
- Ivan S. Tolit – 102 Mega FM (Runner-up – Sports reporting)
- Okello Jesus Ojara – TND News (Honourable mention – Education reporting)
- Johnisani Ocakacon—Radio Rupiny (Runner-up – Community reporting)
- Irene Abalo Otto – Nation Media Group Uganda (Honourable mention – Science and Technology reporting)
