UNBS, TradeMark Africa Honour Journalists at Inaugural Standards & Metrology Media Awards 2026
The colourful ceremony, held at the UNBS Headquarters in Bweyogerere, celebrated media professionals who have distinguished themselves in reporting on standards, quality assurance, metrology, consumer protection and fair trade — areas often perceived as technical but critical to Uganda’s economic transformation.
KAMPALA, UGANDA – March 23, 2026 — The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), in partnership with TradeMark Africa (TMA) and with funding from UK International Development (UKaid), has recognised eight outstanding journalists at the inaugural Standards & Metrology Media Awards 2026.
The colourful ceremony, held at the UNBS Headquarters in Bweyogerere, celebrated media professionals who have distinguished themselves in reporting on standards, quality assurance, metrology, consumer protection and fair trade — areas often perceived as technical but critical to Uganda’s economic transformation.
Elevating Standards Through Media
The awards marked the culmination of a high-intensity media engagement programme that trained 150 journalists across five regional hubs in early March. From the training, 64 entries were submitted, featuring stories published between March 12 and 19, 2026.
An independent panel of judges from the Department of Journalism and Communication at Makerere University assessed the entries based on accuracy, depth, public impact and clarity in translating technical concepts into accessible information.
Speaking at the ceremony, UNBS Executive Director Eng. James Kasigwa underscored the central role of the media in advancing Uganda’s development agenda under Vision 2040.
“A country is only as strong as its standards, and a standard is only as strong as the public’s belief in it,” Kasigwa said. “These journalists are our Quality Ambassadors. They take complex scientific and regulatory processes and translate them into actionable knowledge that empowers every Ugandan — from producers and traders to consumers.”
He noted that strengthening public understanding of standards enhances compliance, improves product competitiveness and protects consumers from substandard goods.
2026 Award Winners
The competition recognised excellence at both regional and national levels.
Regional Winners
(Each received UGX 500,000 and a Certificate of Excellence)
Best Northern Region: Jesse Johnson James (Vision Group) for “The Mark They Cannot See: When Consumer Protection Leaves the Blind Behind.”
Best Greater Kampala Metropolitan (GKM): Ssekimuli Fred (Mukono FM 92.7) for “Public Outcry on Standards Gaps.”
Best Eastern Region: Phoebe Masongole (Daily Monitor) for “Quality Coffee: The Money Minting Machine for Bugisu Women.”
Best Western Region: Kiiza Innocent (Rwenzori Daily) for “Measured in Sacks, Not Scales: The Silent Struggle of Lake Katwe’s Artisanal Salt Miners.”
Best Central Region: Davis Buyondo (Vision Group / The Insight Post) for “When Protecting Consumers Becomes a Dangerous Job.”
National Winners
(Each received UGX 1,000,000 and a Certificate of Excellence)
Best Male National: Chowoo Willy (The Elephant) for “Inside Gulu’s Regional Laboratory: Shaping Quality in Uganda’s Markets.”
Best Female National: Doreen Bazio (Media for All) for “From Survival to Standards.”
Special Mention
(UGX 200,000 and a Special Recognition Certificate)
Lydia Felly Akullu (NTV) for her investigative report, “BANNED COSMETICS ON SALE: How Products Are Being Sold on Social Media Platforms.”
Building a Competitive Trade Ecosystem
Anna Nambooze, Country Director at TradeMark Africa, reaffirmed TMA’s commitment to strengthening Uganda’s quality infrastructure and export competitiveness.
“Certification is the key to unlocking Uganda’s export performance,” she said. “When the media highlights the success of standard-compliant MSMEs, they do more than tell stories — they drive national competitiveness in regional and global markets.”
She added that by supporting the UNBS Standards & Metrology Media Initiative, TMA is helping local producers and MSMEs access broader markets, including opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Enhanced compliance with standards, she noted, positions Ugandan goods to compete more effectively across borders.
Institutionalising Standards Reporting
The initiative, implemented by Ultimate Multimedia Consult (UMC), has also led to the establishment of dedicated “Standards Desks” in 12 media houses. These desks are intended to ensure sustained, professional and specialised coverage of standards, metrology and quality assurance issues.
Observers say the move represents a strategic shift — embedding standards reporting into newsroom structures rather than treating it as a one-off training effort.
Strengthening Consumer Protection and Fair Trade
UNBS, a government agency mandated to develop, promote and enforce national standards, plays a critical role in protecting public health and safety, ensuring fair trade practices and enhancing the global competitiveness of Ugandan products. TradeMark Africa, established in 2010 as a leading African trade facilitation agency, continues to collaborate with UNBS and other government institutions to empower the private sector, improve transparency and drive economic transformation through informed trade practices. The 2026 awards signal a growing recognition that quality infrastructure is not merely a technical function of laboratories and inspectors — it is also a public conversation. By investing in media capacity, UNBS and its partners are betting on journalism as a catalyst for compliance, accountability and inclusive economic growth. As Uganda pushes toward industrialisation and expanded export markets, the message from Bweyogerere was clear: standards matter — and telling their story matters just as much.
