Nation Media Group (NMG) journalist, James Kahongeh, has been accorded global recognition after his feature on climate change was shortlisted in the final round of 2022 Covering Climate Now Journalism Awards.
In a masterpiece, How Kenya plunged into the grip of climate change, Kahongeh delved deep into the intricacies concerning the effects and realities of climate change in the country.
The jury, which comprised 90 distinguished judges, hailed his feature for revealing how the climate impacted the lives of farmers in Kenya. Kahongeh was shortlisted from 900 entries submitted from 65 countries globally.
"This engaging piece helps readers understand the realities of climate change in Kenya. Judges were impressed by the number of interviews with locals, especially the farmers who most directly witness the impacts of climate change," read part of the verdict from the judges.
Kahongeh shared the news on his social platforms, elated about the opportunity to represent the country against top-notch journalists from acclaimed international publications such as New York Times, Reuters, Huffpost, Los Angeles Times, and The Guardian among others.
"So, your boy was recognised yesterday in a global climate-change journalism contest by Covering Climate featuring the best science journalists from 65 countries. Extremely excited about this feat," he stated.
The feature detailed the effects of climate change on drought-stricken counties such as Mandera, and Narok to other areas such as Makueni, Murang'a, Nyandarua, and Nakuru.
Further, Kahongeh looked at how climate affects water catchment areas, which reduces crop yields and threatens food security.
"Even maize, which was doing well here 30 years ago, cannot be grown, thanks to unpredictable and insufficient rains. To sustain their families, farmers have resorted to fruit farming," Kahongeh wrote in his feature.
Kahongeh is in the race to outwit other journalists and scoop the prestigious award with the final results slated to be announced in September 2022.
“This outpouring of submissions, a 50 percent increase over last year’s entries, reflects how news organizations increasingly recognize that climate change demands more and better coverage from all journalists,” Kyle Pope, the chair of the CCNow Awards judging process, stated.
