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 am excited at the prospect of learning new skills at the BBC to be able to connect with audiences locally, regionally and internationally, no matter on which platform the story is being told.
“Komla was a well-rounded journalist whose style, though authoritative, was also compassionate, empathetic and uplifting. His ability to give the facts comprehensively, and yet still be attuned to his audience, was something I admired and a skill I seek to emulate,” Rubadiri told the BBC.
A statement on the BBC website said she impressed judges with her eloquence and passion for telling African stories on both traditional media platforms and social media.
She 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 within the next few weeks.
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.
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.
