With just a few months to his graduation, Makerere University journalism and communication student Badru Katumba’s passion for photojournalism is already paying off.

Katumba emerged the third runner up in the Daily Life category at Thursday’s Uganda Press Photo Awards (UPPA) ceremony held at the Uganda Museum in Kampala.  

A reporter for the Journal Africa, a German online news platform, and Vision Group’s Urban Television, Badru’s photos have featured in the country’s leading newspapers, international magazines and students’ sites, including Journalism@Mak, Campus Bee and Campus Times.

About The Awards

Conceived by the Foreign Correspondents’ Association and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, the awards were launched in 2012 to promote photojournalism and encourage a new generation of photojournalists.

Besides the awards ceremony, UPPA organizes workshops as a way of skills’ transfer and dialogue. The awards also seek to remind the viewing public of the role of a vibrant press in the democratization process.

The awards also recognize individuals who, risking their lives, record their country’s visual history.

The Winners

New Vision’s Abou Kisige was the overall winner and smiled his way home with an award and a Canon 7D camera.

Sarah Waiswa was the most outstanding photographer, with her works recognized in four categories. Waiswa won in the creative and story categories and was in daily life and portrait categories.