Nation Media Group (NMG) journalist, has received international acclaim for his climate change feature, which was shortlisted in the final round of the 2022 Covering Climate Now Journalism Awards.
In his masterpiece, How Kenya plunged into the grip of climate change, James Kahongeh delves into the complexities of climate change’s consequences and realities in the country.
His feature was praised by the jury of 90 outstanding judges for demonstrating how the climate impacted the lives of Kenyan farmers. Kahongeh was chosen from 900 entries from 65 nations across the world.
“This engaging piece helps readers understand the realities of climate change in Kenya. Judges were impressed by the number of interviews with locals, especially the farmers who most directly witness the impacts of climate change,” read part of the verdict from the judges.
Kahongeh shared the news on social media, ecstatic at the prospect of representing his country against top journalists from prestigious international newspapers such as the New York Times, Reuters, Huffington Post, Los Angeles Times, and The Guardian, among others.
“So, your boy was recognised yesterday in a global climate-change journalism contest by Covering Climate featuring the best science journalists from 65 countries. Extremely excited about this feat,” he stated.
The article discussed the effects of climate change on drought-stricken counties like Mandera and Narok, as well as other locations like Makueni, Murang’a, Nyandarua, and Nakuru.
Kahongeh also looked at how climate change impacts water catchment areas, which lowers crop yields and puts food security at risk.
“Even maize, which was doing well here 30 years ago, cannot be grown, thanks to unpredictable and insufficient rains. To sustain their families, farmers have resorted to fruit farming,” Kahongeh wrote in his feature.
Kahongeh is in the race to outwit other journalists and scoop the prestigious award with the final results slated to be announced in September 2022.
“This outpouring of submissions, a 50 percent increase over last year’s entries, reflects how news organizations increasingly recognize that climate change demands more and better coverage from all journalists,” Kyle Pope, the chair of the CCNow Awards judging process, stated.
