Kenyan journalist Rukia Bulle has won the 2024 BBC News Komla Dumor Award.
Bulle, 26 years old, is the ninth recipient of the award and works for Kenya’s Nation Media Group.
The journalist specialises in human interest stories.
The journalist has successfully built a strong following on TikTok.
She posts her relatable and informative content on the life of a journalist.
The award was created to honour Dumor, a Ghanaian journalist and presenter for BBC World News.
Dumor died suddenly aged 41 in 2014.
The judges were impressed by Bulle’s resilience and ability to handle challenging stories.
Bulle’s focus on highlighting under-represented voices and her strong on-air presence was impressive.
“Winning this award means a great deal to me. As a journalist, you constantly strive to do your best, regardless of recognition, so to be acknowledged on a global stage through the Komla Dumor Award is incredibly validating,”
“I hope this award inspires young girls like me, who wear the hijab and come from minority communities, to dream big and achieve their goals.” She said.
According to the BBC, Bulle will spend three months working with BBC News teams across television, radio and online in London.
She will also receive training and be mentored by leading BBC journalists.
As part of the placement, Bulle will travel to a country in Africa to report on a story that will be broadcast to the BBC’s global audiences.
Bulle is the third Kenyan to win the award after Waihiga Mwaura (2018) and Victoria Rubadiri (2020).
The journalist came to fame years back when Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha openly profiled her for wearing a hijab.
Magoha’s remarks angered Kenyans and the Muslim community which forced him to apologise to Bulle.
