• The Human interest journalist becomes the ninth person to win the award since its inception, in 2015.
• The award is given in honour of journalist Komla Dumor.
Image: BBC
Nation Media Group journalist Rukia Bulle has been announced as the 2024 winner of the Komla Dumor Award.
The Human interest journalist becomes the ninth person to win the award since its inception, in 2015.
She also becomes the third Kenyan journalist to bag the highly coveted award.
Rukia said she hopes the award inspires young girls like her, who wear the hijab and come from minority communities, to dream big and achieve their goals.
“Winning this award means a great deal to me. As a journalist, you constantly strive to do your best, regardless of recognition, so to be acknowledged on a global stage through the Komla Dumor Award is incredibly validating. I wanted to honour and contribute to Komla’s legacy in some way.
"He was one of the best journalists of his generation; he epitomised the true essence of journalism: truth, accuracy, and objectivity. This award fuels my passion and motivates me to become an even better journalist," she said.
The other two are Waihiga Mwaura (2018) and Victoria Rubadiri (2020).
The award is given in honour of journalist Komla Dumor.
The 2024 edition coincides with the 10th death anniversary of the Ghanaian journalist.
The award highlights the exceptional journalistic talent across Africa, and BBC News’ commitment to investing in journalism on the continent.
The BBC said the judges were impressed by Rukia's ability to take on challenging stories and highlight them.
"The judges were impressed by (Rukia) Bulle’s resilience and ability to handle challenging stories, her focus on highlighting under-represented voices and her strong on-air presence."
The Judges for 2024 included Ehizojie Okharedia (Senior News Editor, BBC World Service), Magnus McGrandle (Senior News Editor, BBC News Channels) and Lydia Namubiru (Editor-in-Chief, The Continent).
Acting Director of the BBC World Service, Tarik Kafala said previous recipients of the award have made significant contributions to public service journalism.
"We are thrilled to welcome Rukia Bulle as this year’s winner and look forward to supporting her in London during her placement. Komla Dumor was a passionate champion of African stories, and we are proud to continue his legacy through this award.”
Rukia works as a reporter for NTV.
Winners of the Komla Dumor Award will spend three months working with the BBC news teams in London, across television, radio and online.
They are also allowed to further develop their journalism skills through training, workshops and mentoring with leading BBC journalists.
Successful candidates are given an opportunity to travel to a country in Africa to report on a story that they identify and research, and that will become part of the BBC’s content for a global audience.
Applications for the 2024 award closed on March 15, 2024, at 23.59 GMT (2:59 am EAT).