Freelance photojournalist Hajarah Nalwadda, associated with the Vision Group and specifically the New Vision English State Paper, has been honored as the most outstanding photojournalist at the 2024 Uganda Press Photo Awards (UPPA).
The awards ceremony, sponsored by Fujifilm Cameras and supported by the Embassy of Sweden Kampala, took place at Motiv in Kampala.
Nalwadda distinguished herself in the Uganda Category with her powerful photo essay that chronicles the terrorist attack by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) following the incident at Lhubiriha Secondary School in the Kasese district of Western Uganda.
Her work, showcased in the exhibition, effectively conveys the emotional progression from the site of the attack to the hospital, highlighting the community’s reaction and the burial moments with very a series of impactful images.
This shocking incident, which stunned both the nation and the international community, occurred in June 2023.
Reports indicate that the attackers infiltrated the Mpondwe community and launched their assault on the school around 23:30 (20:30 GMT), entering dormitories, setting fires, and using machetes to harm the students. Approximately 40 individuals, including 37 students, lost their lives in this brutal attack.
Six students who were kidnapped to transport food and other items the rebels had stolen from the school’s supplies, some of their remains were found decomposing across the border in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) by security forces.
As an expert in aggressive lens photography, Nalwadda traveled over 400 kilometers to document the situation through her images.
She camped in the area for several days, despite the prevailing tension, and managed to convey a comprehensive narrative to the world through a few powerful photographs, accompanied by minimal captions.
She received a brand new Fujifilm camera set, X-T50 and XF 16-50 kits, along with a certificate and additional prizes.
Her runners-up were Miriam Namutebi, Olandason Wanyama, and David Lubowa.
Other notable winners included Hassan Kamil, who took home the East African photo award, Awab Elmisabh for the Single Images and Human Category, and Barbra Leni Mercy, recognized this year with the Young Photographer Award (YPA).
All top winners in their respective categories also received cameras.
The Uganda Press Photo Awards (UPPA), established in 2012.
