Standard Mediaโs Agutu Rosa emerged the overall winner of the OFAB Media awards after scooping the top position in the Television Category. Photo by OFAB team. 
By Andrew Mbuva
The Kenya Chapter of the Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology in Africa (OFAB) on Thursday celebrated the countryโs finest science journalists during the 9th edition of the OFAB-Kenya Media Awards, held at Jacaranda Hotel, Nairobi.
The annual event, which recognizes excellence in science journalism, feted four journalists for their outstanding contribution in enhancing public awareness about agricultural biotechnology.
Standard Mediaโs Agutu Rosa emerged the overall winner after scooping the top position in the Television Category. Her exceptional storytelling and in-depth coverage on the role of biotechnology in transforming Kenyaโs agriculture earned her the coveted title and a cash prize of KSh 100,000, alongside a plaque and a certificate of recognition.
Meut Mark of North Rift Radio was named the winner in the Radio Category and the overall first runner-up, taking home KSh 75,000, while Jim Israel Mwanda of JLC Times, an online platform, won the Online Media Category and was declared the second runner-up, receiving KSh 50,000.
Cynthia Masibo of Mount Kenya Times, recognized for her human-interest stories highlighting agricultural innovation, won in the Print Media Category and was the third runner-up overall, bagging KSh 25,000.
Each of the four winners also received an OFAB-Kenya plaque and certificate, while all participants were honored with certificates of recognition.
Speaking during the event, Dr. Margaret Karembu, Director of ISAAA AfriCenter and Chairperson of OFAB-Kenya, lauded journalists for their crucial role in advancing public understanding of biotechnology.
โThe media has been our greatest ally. Your dedication to educating and sensitizing the public has demystified the science of biotechnology and stimulated critical dialogue on its potential for agricultural transformation,โ she said.
The ceremony was graced by Media Council of Kenya CEO, Dr. David Omwoyo, who presided over the gala.
According to organizers, the overall winner, Agutu Rosa, will represent Kenya at the OFAB Africa Media Awards to be held later in the year at a venue yet to be announced.
OFAB-Kenya, established in 2017, is the pioneer chapter of a continental initiative that now includes 10 African countries โ Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Rwanda, Mozambique, and Malawi.
The Kenyan chapter is managed jointly by the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) and the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) AfriCenter, with support from the National Biosafety Authority.
The platform continues to serve as a key link between scientists, policymakers, and journalists in promoting evidence-based reporting on agricultural biotechnology to drive sustainable food security and innovation in Africa.
