Citizen TVs Victoria Rubadiri wins prestigious BBC Komla Dumor Award

Citizen TV anchor Victoria Rubadiri is the 2020 BBC World News Komla Dumor Award winner.

She becomes the second Kenyan to win the prestigious award after her colleague Waihiga Mwaura in 2018.

“I have known the news for a couple of months so the tough part was trying to keep it a secret. To get this validation is amazing! COVID-19 has delayed the training so it has been moved to next year,” she said on Tuesday.

Kenyan TV anchor Victoria Rubadiri has won the 2020 BBC World News Komla Dumor Award!

See her reaction to the good news as she also shares what winning the award means to her. @VickyRubadiri pic.twitter.com/9WA7JSrQ1t

— BBC News Africa (@BBCAfrica) September 1, 2020

According to the BBC, Rubadiri impressed judges with her eloquence and passion for telling African stories on both traditional media platforms and social media.

‘Nairobi by bike‘ was one of the stories she submitted for the Komla Dumor Award.

Rubadiri currently hosts a popular news segment on Saturday as well as the Sunday Live bulletin with her colleague Jeff Koinange.

The celebrated news anchor is a multifaceted journalist in East Africa and has interviewed some of the leading names in politics and current affairs.

Rubadiri is expected to begin her three-month placement at the British news agency in September next year.

She will attend a training course with the BBC Academy before joining BBC News teams – across TV, radio and online.

The course is intended to provide her with the opportunity to gain skills and experience across BBC News platforms.

“We’re delighted to have Victoria on board to bring her insights and passion to the BBC,” said Jamie Angus, Director of BBC World Service Group.

Victoria Rubadiri wins Komla Dumor Award
Victoria Rubadiri: I have known the news for a couple of months so the tough part was trying to keep it a secret. To get this validation is amazing! COVID-19 has delayed the training so it has been moved to next year pic.twitter.com/TQKMtPVJ2m

— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) September 1, 2020

Rubadiri is also the sixth winner of the award, following in the footsteps of Solomon Serwanjja, Waihiga Mwaura, Amina Yuguda, Didi Akinyelure and Nancy Kacungira.

Her first voice over was at the age of three and since then she says the call to enter the media got louder.

She went to Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Broadcast Journalism.

She has worked in radio and television for a decade both in Kenya and the US.

Through the years, she has become a much sought-after, award-winning journalist known most for her ability to connect with her audience and tell compelling stories.

“Being the custodian of another’s story is my greatest responsibility as a journalist,” she says.

Rubadiri also moderates high-level discussions of both regional and continental importance.

Her other passion is mentoring the youth to help them realise their potential and be effective change agents.