Daily Monitor's Phoebe Masongole Bags UNBS Award for Standards Journalism

Phoebe Masongole, a journalist with Daily Monitor’s Mbale office, has been named the winner in the Eastern Uganda category at the inaugural 2026 Standards and Metrology Journalism Awards. Her winning entry, titled “Quality coffee: The money minting machine for Bugisu women,” appeared on March 19, 2026, and spotlighted how standards boost economic opportunities.

Organized by the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) alongside TradeMark Africa with UK aid funding, the event at UNBS headquarters in Bweyogerere celebrated eight reporters for their coverage of quality infrastructure, fair trade, and consumer safety. It capped a training program for 150 journalists across regions, with 64 submissions judged on accuracy, depth, and impact by a Makerere University panel.

UNBS Executive Director Dr. James Kasigwa presented Masongole her certificate of excellence, praising journalists as “Quality Ambassadors” who make technical standards accessible. “A country is only as strong as its standards, and public belief strengthens them,” he noted.

Overjoyed, Masongole called it a career milestone—her first award—and pledged to focus on standards reporting. Other winners included Jesse Johnson James (Northern), Ssekimuli Fred (Kampala), and national victors Chowoo Willy and Doreen Bazio, each awarded cash prizes from Shs200,000 to Shs1 million.

TradeMark Africa’s Anna Nambooze emphasized how media coverage aids export success and market access under the African Continental Free Trade Area. The effort has set up standards desks in 12 media outlets to ensure ongoing quality reporting.

Source: Daily Monitor