The late Komla Dumor
The BBC yesterday announced that Kenyan TV presenter, Waihiga Mwaura, has been awarded the BBC World News Komla Dumor Award.
Waihiga, from Nairobi in Kenya, is a presenter on the 8pm news on the national station, Citizen TV. Being a well known and respected face across Kenya, he has recently been hosting the Citizen TV prime-time breakfast show.
As he accepts the BBC World News Komla Dumor Award at a ceremony in the BBC Radio Theatre in London, Waihiga begins his three-month placement at the BBC.
To kick off, Waihiga will attend a course with the BBC Academy. He will then join BBC News teams – across TV, radio and online – which will provide him with the opportunity to gain skills and experience across BBC News’ multifaceted platforms. Towards the end of his placement, Waihiga will have the opportunity to travel to a country in Africa, with a top BBC producer, to report on a story for a global audience. The story will then be broadcast on BBC platforms, which reach audiences of 376 million across the world each week.
Waihiga said, “It’s such an honour to win this award. I was inspired by Komla; by the way he brought so much life and passion to African stories. I believe it’s really important to continue his legacy, to take risks in pursuit of excellence and to tell the stories which are often overlooked by other international broadcasters. As an African, I feel proud to have the opportunity to be able to tell the African story to audiences across the world.”
Waihiga impressed judges with his storytelling ability and on-screen presence. His passion for giving Africans a voice and his investigative journalism set him ahead of other entrants. Much like Komla, Waihiga is committed to challenging preconceived stereotypes by asking the questions that provide clarity, unlock insights and have the potential to deepen understanding. His passion for telling these stories will resonate with BBC’s global audiences.
Jamie Angus, Director of BBC World Service Group, said, “Having personally worked with Komla on the launch of Focus on Africa on BBC World News, I know he was a highly respected journalist, not only among his peers, but also by audiences across the continent and beyond. To recognise and empower some of Africa’s leading talent in journalism in his honour over the past few years has been a learning curve for both the winners and BBC News. We’re excited to have Waihiga with us for this placement and look forward to welcoming him to the BBC.”
The award was set up in honour of presenter Komla Dumor, who died in January 2014, and aims to continue Komla’s legacy by celebrating African journalism and finding exceptional talent. The judging panel included Alice Muthengi from the BBC Africa service; Jonathan Munro, Head of Newsgathering at the BBC; Audrey Sitsofe, a journalist and a professor at the University of Ghana.
Waihiga will be interviewed on Focus on Africa radio on 26th September at 1730 GMT. He will also host a discussion – Does social media strengthen or endanger democracy in Africa? – on Focus on Africa radio on 27th September at 1730 GMT.