Image: Geoffrey Kamadi
Geoffrey Kamadi praised for poetic depiction of river in trouble
A Kenyan science journalist has been awarded a top international prize for his article about a river ecosystem in trouble.
Geoffrey Kamadi was among this year’s winners of the Kavli awards, which are given out by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The winners were announced on 11 November.
Nairobi-based Kamadi wins a Gold award worth US$5,000 in the category Science Reporting—Small Outlet. His article, ‘Tana River Basin under threat’, appeared on the Science Africa website in September 2019.
Commenting on his win, Kamadi said he felt "extremely humbled". He added: "It just goes to show that you need not be associated with, or work for, a big media organisation for your work to be recognised."
He is the first Kenyan to win a Kavli award, which is open to journalists all over the world. Sarah Wild from South Africa was the first African to win a Kavli, in 2017, for her investigation into Johannesburg’s unidentified dead bodies.