Tanzanian journalists celebrated a memorable night on May 5, 2025, as they received prestigious honors and substantial prizes at the Samia Kalamu Awards, organized by the Tanzania Media Women’s Association (TAMWA) in collaboration with the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA).
The event began with the presentation of sectoral awards, where various government ministries awarded journalists for outstanding stories in specific sectors. Winners received several prizes, including plots of land, motorcycles, smartphones, overseas trips, and a standard cash prize of TSH 5 million, along with a certificate. In total, 20 sectoral awards were presented.
“I expected they would just receive certificates and leave, but what I saw were significant rewards,” President Samia Suluhu Hassan said.
“I must congratulate my ministers — it was as if you were competing among yourselves in awarding prizes. This will motivate journalists to write better, knowing that there’s a competition where they can win awards,” the President added.
Veteran journalists Absalomu Kibanda, Deodatus Balile, Mbaraka Islam, and Hawra Shamte received special recognition from the Ministry of Information, Culture, Arts, and Sports for writing political stories that foster unity rather than division. Each was awarded a cash prize of Tsh 10 million.
President Samia personally presented awards in several categories, including one on clean energy, won by Julius Maricha of The Citizen. The overall excellence in journalism award went to Alfred Mushi of BBC Africa. Special recognition was also given to veteran journalists Tido Mhando and Maryam Hamdan, with each receiving TSh 20 million.
A call for patriotic journalism
In her keynote address, President Samia urged journalists to embrace patriotism in their reporting and avoid stories that tarnish the image of the nation.
“Let me emphasize the word patriotism,” she said. “In countries outside there, if a story has the potential to harm the nation, you will not see it published. But here with us, they want to know everything about what is happening in our country. And it is the local journalists who are being used. Maybe there are small incentives that make you write and give them these stories.”
“When you see your reports published by international outlets like Al Jazeera or the BBC, do you say, ‘That’s my work’? I don’t know how you feel seeing your country being talked about in such major news outlets with the whole world watching, and yet you are the one who wrote and gave them the story,” President Samia said.
While she highlighted there is an improvement in the newsroom in doing analysis and coverage of development stories, she encouraged journalists to defend the country through their work and respond to some of the claims published abroad.
One Response
“writing political stories that foster unity rather than division.”
In other words praising the ruling class and official policies? Not to write about disappearances and electoral frauds?
Waste of public money to bribe journalists !