Entry details.
In this film, local journalist Elijah Kanyi investigated the impact of the deadly coronavirus in Mathare, one of Kenya’s biggest and poorest slums. As the pandemic looms, heavy-handed policing leads to violence and a series of tragic deaths. Reporting from Mathare’s coronavirus frontline, Elijah asked: is the cure deadlier than the virus?
Watch the full piece here.
Biography
Elijah Kanyi is an award-winning Journalist, Producer and Director based in Nairobi, Kenya. After witnessing much injustice in his community over the years, Elijah became a cameraman so he could tell the stories of his people, ranging from corruption, inequality in health and education to police brutality and extrajudicial killings. He was selected as the 2017 and 2019 Journalist of the Year at the Annual Journalism Excellence Awards, and is an acclaimed investigative reporter with Africa Uncensored, as well as the founder of SautiTV, a mentoring program for young journalists.
Read Kat Archer and Sarah Baker’s profile on Elijah here.
Judges comments.
“In this film, you can really see the passion in the storytelling. It draws emotion from the filmmaker, who has a strong connection with the place since he was born and bred in Mathare. When everyone is looking for COVID stories in Africa, he was smart to find a fresh angle that would also highlight a local issue. He showed a lot of bravery in making the film, particularly in putting himself at risk to document the police violence.”
News Features Award Jury