Meet the 2025 IGAD Media Awards Jury

A veteran broadcaster with more than 20 years of experience, she serves as Head of Production and Coordinator at Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC). She has anchored health and lifestyle shows, directed live broadcasts, and led special projects that strengthened UBC’s role as a trusted public broadcaster.

Passionate about socially relevant storytelling, she has produced series on palliative care, vitiligo, and televised medical camps, raising awareness on public health. Alongside her production work, she mentors young on-air talent and emerging journalists. A returning juror for the IGAD Media Awards, she brings expertise in impactful programming, mentorship, and community-focused media.

A South Sudanese journalist with extensive experience in broadcast and print media, he has worked with Southern Eye Newspaper, Bakhita Radio, and the South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation. He covered the 2014–2015 South Sudan peace talks in Ethiopia and, following the 2015 peace deal, joined Feature Story News (FSN), where he continues to serve as senior news producer and correspondent.

Through FSN, his reports reach global outlets including CGTN, SABC, CBC, WION, I24, TRT, and DW. Elected in 2021, he is the current President of the Union of Journalists of South Sudan (UJOSS). In 2023, he was honoured as South Sudan’s Human Rights Defender of the Year, reflecting his commitment to press freedom and justice.

A medical doctor and journalist, she leads Willow Health Media, Kenya’s pioneering digital health journalism platform. Her career spans clinical practice, broadcast journalism, and digital media entrepreneurship, earning recognition such as the Uzalendo Award for COVID-19 coverage and a Gates Foundation grant to expand health storytelling. She holds degrees in Medicine and Development Communication from the University of Nairobi and an MBA from USIU–Africa. Her work champions African-led, solutions-driven reporting that amplifies vulnerable voices and shapes public health policy.

Founder and CEO of Groupe Fouzo Media Inc., he oversees a network of global publications and brands, including DiasporaDjibouti.com, which highlights diaspora engagement and innovation. He also leads Zamdawi Productions, producing culturally impactful films while integrating AI and agile workflows.

With over 15 years’ experience in media and marketing, he builds bridges between communities, content, and sustainable business models. As a jury member for Musicaction and SODEC, he supports diverse artistic voices. His vision is to mobilise the African diaspora in driving growth through media, technology, and the creative economy.

Currently CEO of Somalia’s National Media Council, he is a communications leader with more than 20 years’ experience. He previously served as Editor at BBC Somali, covering major political and cultural events, and later advised Somalia’s Ministries of Information and Finance. He has also lectured in journalism, founded a consultancy to strengthen media ethics, and supported UK-based community organisations. With academic training in journalism, international relations, and business administration, he is committed to strengthening media institutions, promoting integrity, and connecting communities across cultures.

An Ethiopian filmmaker, producer, and political scientist, he co-owns Rusty Town Films, producing documentaries, dramas, and advocacy projects. He directed the acclaimed TV series Gera Kegn (Left Right) and his films have screened at Hot Docs, Winterthur, and other international festivals.

Recipient of the Cultural Diversity Award for Sharing and the DW Development Fund, he has represented Africa in global storytelling initiatives such as Switzerland’s 5x5x5 Project.

A former lecturer at Addis Ababa University, he taught politics, diplomacy, and human rights, combining academic depth with creative vision in storytelling.

An Assistant Director at the Media Council of Kenya (MCK), she oversees Media Training and Curriculum Development and has been the Team Leader for the Annual Journalism Excellence Awards (AJEA) for the past six years. With over 25 years’ experience in journalism and media development, she has played a key role in digitising the AJEA process and mentoring emerging journalists.

She began her career at Kenya Television Network (KTN), where she rose to editor, later serving as founding Director and CEO of Mbaitu FM. A former journalism lecturer at Kenya Methodist University, she has also led and supported regional initiatives advancing gender equality and media leadership. In 2022, she received the Presidential Order of the Grand Warrior (OGW) for her contribution to media growth and women’s empowerment.

Mohamed Osman Adam is a veteran media professional, editor, and translation expert with more than three decades of experience in journalism, media training, and communication advisory. He has held senior leadership roles in Sudan’s media landscape, including serving as Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, and Deputy Director General of the Sudan News Agency (SUNA) between 2020 and 2021. From 2010 to 2014, he led Sudanow magazine as Editor-in-Chief and strengthened its role as a platform for in-depth reporting on Sudan and the region.

His international media experience spans over 28 years as Sudan Correspondent for The Associated Press (AP) and as a Correspondent for the Pan-African News Agency (PANA). Alongside journalism, he is a certified trainer with the Thomson Foundation and British Council, having facilitated capacity-building programs for journalists across Sudan since 2012. He also consults for UNICEF and leads Osman for Translation, a firm specializing in editorial consultancy and media translation.

He holds a BA in Languages and two Master’s degrees in Translation and Linguistics from the University of Khartoum. He is fluent in Arabic and English, with working knowledge of French.