IBJ Awards to honour top business reporters

Speaking to www.bizcommunity.com in Kampala last week, Muhereza Kyamutetera, the firm's president, said the awards are intended to “celebrate excellence in business journalism” while motivating the journalists' fraternity to treat business journalism as a noble profession.

He added, “IBJ awards are meant to highlight the fact that business reporters … can make a significant positive difference in the world especially in the way in which business is done.”

Kyamutetera called upon stakeholders and users of business journalism to support this cause, adding that motivating excelling business journalists is one sure way of encouraging the budding profession that, unlike other news circles, is not given enough focus, despite its crucial role in the economic development of the country.

“We believe that with the right kind of motivation and stakeholder intervention, business journalism can be well positioned to benefit all users could regain its place in a society largely driven by private enterprise … We should not only remember them when we want our stories run,” he said.

Winning entries shall be revealed at a colourful ceremony that will be attended by over 300 business reporters and executives from all around the country, to be hosted at Kabira Country Club's Palm Conference Hall on March 7, 2007.

The IBJ Awards 2008 include the best journalists of the year in the fields of business, finance, ICT, SME businesses, business columnists, female business journalists, the environment, business photography, leisure & hospitality, TV business reporting, radio business reporting and Business Executive of the Year. All the nominations will be by the journalists themselves.

Last year winners of the awards included Daily Monitor's Elias Biryabarema, Dorothy Nakawesi, and Joseph Kiggundu, East African's Julius Byarugaba and The New Vision's Ibrahim Kasita.