Kampala – Inspire Africa Group has recognised leading journalists and digital storytellers for their outstanding contribution to promoting Uganda’s coffee value addition narrative during the inaugural Media-in-Coffee Awards held at Inspire Café in Nakasero, Kampala.
The awards hosted on Saturday, May 2, 2026, celebrated journalists who have consistently highlighted Uganda’s coffee industry, value chain transformation, and the emerging culture of coffee as a lifestyle product.
Delivering remarks at the ceremony, Inspire Africa Coffee Park Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Nelson Tugume, commended the media for reshaping public perception of coffee from a traditional cash crop into a modern lifestyle and industrial product.
“I want to commend you—really, really a fantastic job,” Dr Tugume said. “Recently, I met young people pitching ideas on how they want to create the best content out of coffee.”
He reflected on how perceptions have evolved since he entered the sector in 2013. “In 2013–2014, when I joined the coffee sector, if you asked any young person about coffee, they would think of a miserable woman in a garden. It was not seen as sexy or cool,” he said.
Dr Tugume noted that Uganda’s coffee sector has grown significantly in value, rising from about $350 million to $2.5 billion, but stressed that the biggest challenge remains storytelling and value positioning.
“The problem is not production—it is storytelling and value positioning. Africa does not know how to tell its story. Uganda does not know how to tell its story,” he said.
He added that global coffee consumption shows the scale of opportunity Uganda must tap into. “The United States drinks about 450 million cups per day. That is almost $1 billion daily. In three days, they generate what Uganda earns in a year from coffee,” he said.
Dr Tugume emphasised that Uganda must move beyond raw exports and invest in value addition. “We must stop thinking small. We must build industries, not just farms. We must build brands, not just commodities,” he said.
Award Winners recognised for shaping Uganda’s coffee narrative
Malcolm Musiime – NTV Business Now (Business Journalism Award): Recognised for his extensive coverage of coffee value addition and agribusiness transformation on NTV Business Now, Musiime was praised for consistently spotlighting Uganda’s coffee economy.
Patricia Osman – Capital FM News (Radio Excellence Award): Capital FM news anchor Osman was honoured for her “poised and professional voice” in telling Uganda’s coffee story on radio platforms. She said: “We need to have different segments—for schools, for ladies, and for different audiences. That is how we will tell the story effectively.”
Rogers Atukunda – SoftPower News (Digital Journalism Award): Journalist and writer Atukunda was recognised for his storytelling, including his widely circulated feature “From Ntungamo to Mogadishu: Uganda Exports Finished Inspire Africa Coffee to Somalia.”
Geoffrey Serugo – The Observer (Sports Journalism Award): Parliamentary and sports journalist Serugo was awarded for his impartial coverage of the Coffee Marathon 2025 Edition. He was recognised for helping position sport as a platform for promoting Uganda’s coffee industry.
Kamazima Aine – Social Media Impact Award: Communication strategist Aine was honoured for her strong digital advocacy of Ugandan coffee products and cultural storytelling across social media platforms. She has been a vocal promoter of local language communication and grassroots digital engagement.
Media urged to bridge coffee value chain gap
During discussions at the ceremony, media practitioners emphasised their role in bridging the gap between farmers, consumers, and investors.
Uganda Media Centre Executive Director, Alan Kasujja, who was the Guest of Honour, said journalists sit at the centre of Uganda’s coffee transformation story. “The real story is between $2.50 and $15. What is happening in that gap? That is the real story we should be focusing on,” Kasujja said.
He added that journalists must translate coffee from a commodity into a lifestyle and investment opportunity. “We are the bridge. We teach farmers about quality, consumers why they should drink coffee, and investors why they should come here,” he said.
He promised to organise a training for journalists on how to tell an agribusiness story. “Visual storytelling is powerful. We have seen exhibitions and documentaries that change perception. But this goes beyond Inspire Africa. This is about the entire coffee industry.”
He added, “We should go to districts like Bugisu, document stories, and bring them to the public. As content creators, we have a responsibility to educate ourselves first. We should not make things up—we must understand what we are talking about. If we get the story right, Uganda can multiply its coffee earnings several times over.”
Coffee as a lifestyle and tourism product
Mrs Yewagnesh “Yogi” Biriggwa, President of the Uganda Tourism Association, highlighted coffee’s expanding role in lifestyle and tourism. “Coffee is a lifestyle. We are glad that this culture is now developing,” she said.
She called for the creation of coffee ambassadors and structured marketing segments, including coffee-based cosmetics and lifestyle products. “We need coffee ambassadors who will tell this story consistently,” she added.
Coffee Marathon to promote health and value chain awareness
Uganda Athletics Federation Assistant General Secretary Apollo Musherure announced that the upcoming Coffee Marathon scheduled for 3rd October will promote both health and coffee awareness.
He said the event will include 5km, 10km, half-marathon, and full-marathon categories. “One coffee tree in a homestead can support a child’s scholastic needs,” Musherure said.
He added that the marathon has been certified in partnership with World Athletics and Inspire Africa to attract international participation.
The inaugural Media-in-Coffee Awards underscored growing recognition of the media’s role in transforming Uganda’s coffee narrative—from raw commodity exports to a global lifestyle, tourism, and value addition industry.
Inspire Africa Group reaffirmed its commitment to working with journalists, creatives, and institutions to close the value gap in Uganda’s coffee sector and expand earnings beyond the current $2.5 billion export base.
