An elated Oluka who was equally overwhelmed by the honour of the Golden Pen Journalist of the Year Award simply said, "I'm just too excited. I don't know what to say," when he was asked to comment on his achievements during the awards dinner last week.
The prestigious award also earned Oluka a new laptop, UGX 1m and a digital camera. The youthful journalist also bagged the Public Affairs Journalist of the Year Award in addition to journalist of the year.
He won the awards for his front page stories titled; UPDF recalls aircraft scandal officers, Rot in Uganda's health sector revealed, and Uganda dithers over $42m poverty plan, which were published in the East African.
New Vision was the best represented paper with five of its reporters winning awards beating Daily Monitor's 2005 record. Environment journalist Gerald Tenywa emerged first runner-up winning himself a laptop and a camera and certificate on top of becoming the Environment Journalist of The Year.
Meanwhile Charles Onen, popularly known as Ras emerged Cartoonist of the Year, as Michael Nsubuga took home the Photojournalist of the Year award. Harriet Onyala the only female journalist who was honoured at the awards also came from New Vision earning herself the Social Affairs Writer of the Year. The newspapers Joseph Opiyo also won himself Sports Journalist of the Year award.
Daily Monitor's Special Reporter, Rodney Muhumza who emerged second runner-up scooped the News Reporter of the Year award. In addition to his two awards, Muhumza also received a laptop.
Two other Daily Monitor newspaper journalists, namely Emmanuel Gyezaho and Edgar R Batter also walked away with the Columnist and Arts and Leisure Writers of the Year, respectively.
Other winners include East African's Julius Byarugaba (Business Journalist of the Year, and East African Business Week's Edris Kisambira (Science and Technology Journalist of the Year).
In 2005, Simon Kasyate a journalist with Nation Television Uganda's (NTV) formerly of the Daily Monitor scooped the overall Golden Pen Award, Journalist of the Year. Kasyate had also won the 2004 CNN Journalist of Year.
Previous winners of the Golden Pen Awards included; Muhereza Kyamuterera, Frank Walusimbi, Jennifer Austin, Musinguzi Bamuturaki, Robert Mugagga, Edris Kisambira and Daniel Karibwije.
The awards, which were sponsored by Housing Finance, Postbank Uganda, Tropical Bank, Nile Breweries, Real Marketing, and Bullseye Creative, are meant to improve the quality of print journalism in Uganda.
The winning entries represented a wide number of views and quality of journalism according to the judges. Some of the benchmarks that were used, in choosing the best articles included fairness, analytical rigor, balance, clarity, sourcing and accuracy, strong mindedness, journalistic flair, in depth research, humour and public service, as well as following submission instructions.
John Nagenda Senior Advisor to the President on the Media and Public Relations advised journalists to be truthful and entertaining when writing their articles to achieve the purpose of the media in Uganda.
"When you are writing your articles, you should tell the truth as it says. How do you tell the truth, by using facts. Go and look for the facts at every chance if it's against the government which I serve, use facts to show where it has gone wrong."
He also called upon journalist to write short, punchy and witty stories to encourage more people including the school dropouts, to read.
"Let us not forget enjoyment. There's no sense in writing long boring passages which no one wants to read. Let's remember humour which is used in our daily lives. Its one way in which many people will be educated and entertained," Nagenda said.
