‘My heart was beating too fast during the inaugural Disaster Risk Reduction Network of Africa Journalists-DIRAJ awards held at Laico hotel in Tunis, Tunisia early October, I did not believe it when I was announced the best Africa journalist who worked tirelessly in creating awareness on disaster preparedness and management at my backyard, the Coast region of Kenya’.
The humble Radio Rahma’s Ruth Keah revealed that her story was pegged on how dry Voi river in Taita-Taveta County negatively impacted on locals and the current remedies being employed by environmental players in restoring the situation.
Ruth who heads Radio Rahma’s News and features department said she was dedicated to radio features, perfecting her feature material gathering, packaging and dissemination.
She said bagging Africa recognition in her journalism career was the biggest achievement this year.
Ruth, a composed, well focused and hardworking journalist said that her diary is fully of appointments and meetings focusing more on how she can impart the right information to her audience in a unique manner.
The dedicated journalist with an 8 years experience in news gathering, editing and dissemination at the Islamic Coast based radio station Radio Rahma said her secret was pegged on serious journalism and deep research before airing her well packaged radio features.
[Radio Rahma’s Head of News and Features Ruth Keah at Radio Rahma’s studios in Mombasa. Photo/By Kenga Cyrus]
“I decided to change my journalism from covering the normal press conferences to a deep, well researched and packaged radio features on Education, I managed the station’s health docket, Environment, gender related issues, social and human rights stories since all these angles correlate and directly touches on the lives of Coastal people,” she added.
The hardworking celebrated journalist revealed that she is aiming higher by imparting international programs with close relevance to local audience.
“I want to grow my journalism career further to international bar and I appeal to my colleagues especially those I have worked with to use their vast experience and embrace journalism where fresh, well researched content matters,” she noted.
She noted “God is my pillar, my successes are from him, I am faithful to my Creator and a dedicated Christian despite working in an Islamic radio station,”
In August this year, Ruth Keah a multi- award winner bagged the best radio journalist of the year under the Information Communication and Technology-ICT category in the Annual Journalism Excellence Award-AJEA organised by Kenyan media regulatory body, Media Council of Kenya.
