On the 13th March, Kenya announced its first coronavirus case. The government announced measures to contain the spread. However, some of the measures proved deadlier than the virus itself - Cops and Corpses, 2020
Maurice Oniang'o won the Thomson Foundation Young Journalist award in 2014 with a portfolio of stories which included a film on child soldiers in Kenya.
Seven years on, Maurice is firmly established in his field and making long-form films and documentaries that hold power to account. His mission is to give a voice to those who cannot be heard and a platform to those who cannot be seen.
I wouldn't call myself a campaigning journalist, he says. I am a journalist who is interested in social and environmental justice.
His latest film, Cops and Corpses - Victims' Cry for Justice, won the Spotlight Gold Award as one of the best independent films of 2020 and has been nominated for a second award at the 42nd Durban International Film Festival. The subject matter - the escalation of police brutality on people living in informal settlements in Kenya during the Covid-19 pandemic - came to his attention through social media.
Citizen journalists played a key role in letting people know there was a pandemic, he says. There was also the issue of an escalation of police brutality. I learned through social media - tweets and videos - that people were being injured, and in some cases killed, because of the breaking of a curfew. It was especially the case in the informal settlements with the police enforcing coronavirus restrictions.
Much of Maurice's film covers street protests. He uses mojo extensively and combines it with photo stills and mobile phone footage from citizen journalists, together with victim interviews filmed on a video camera.
This was my first protest film, so I needed guidance as to what to do. I spoke to different mentors and did online learning for mobile journalism. This taught me how to use my mobile phone for good quality video and to have something that is presentable.
Covering civil unrest during a pandemic also brought its own issues, with personal safety a key factor.
-- Play
-- --
Just mentioning that I am the 2014 Thomson Foundation Young Journalist winner has given me a platform to speak about my work and get other opportunities"
Maurice Oniang o, documentary filmmaker
Maurice stresses the importance of balance and accuracy in storytelling in order to have credibility with the audience. It is important, he says, to try to get both sides of an unfolding story. You have to love doing research. The only way you are going to get accurate and verifiable information is by doing in-depth investigation. You must also listen to the experts, your peers and your mentors.
-- Play
-- --
When the authorities refuse to speak to you as a journalist, it is either that they are hiding something or they don't want to face the media and speak about an issue that many people know exists. I tried to get their side of the story, but no one responded. All my emails and phone calls went unanswered.
Maurice is not in the job to win awards, although such recognition helps to highlight his areas of concern. Winning the award means that someone is noticing what you are doing, he says.
They most certainly are.
Young Journalist Award
We are excited to announce the return of our annual award where young journalists, their work and their voices are at the centre, and where journalism's power to enact meaningful change is as present as ever. Now in its ninth year, the award enables journalists aged 30 and under from countries with a Gross National Income (GNI) per capita of less than $20,000 to submit their best stories.
Each year we receive entries from journalists that are revelatory, prompt public debate and have led to, or have the potential to lead to, positive change in society. This year we want to build on that and introduce a new element. Find out more here. Closing date for entries, 10th September, 2021.
Application form here.
Explore our projects across the globe
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
05/06/2026
Built from the same recordings as flagship library
Sonuscore's LUX Orchestral Strings has been met with widespread praise since its launch in late 2025,...
05/06/2026
High-end converter, interface & headphone amp upgraded
Said to represent the next evolution of RME's all-in-one reference converter concept, the all-new...
05/06/2026
Win a Soundgas Type 636P & Type G preamps
Soundgas, one of the UK's leading vintage and boutique audio equipment specialists have just announced the lau...
05/06/2026
New leadership of Technology Systems Division at Rohde & Schwarz On July 1, 2026, Hansj rg Herrbold and Andreas H gele will take over as Executive Vice Presid...
05/06/2026
Hitachi and Intel announced a strategic collaboration to explore opportunities t...
05/06/2026
05 Jun 2026
VEON's Kyivstar to Expand Digital Mobility Ecosystem with Acqui...
05/06/2026
RT Radio 1 Folk Awards to take place on Tuesday 10th November 2026, Vicar Street, Dublin
Moya Brennan, D nal Lunny, Mary Black and Christy Moore among previou...
04/06/2026
Steinberg DAWs now boast in-depth Tonalic integration
Celemony's innovative virtual session musician plug-in has just received an update that brings ARA...
04/06/2026
Get Hands-On With Over 20 Mic Brands
GearExpo UK is fast approaching, and if you've been looking for a chance to check out some new mics, then you'r...
04/06/2026
Combos feature new Amplifier Intelligence engine
Positive Grid's latest release sees the company introduce two new combo amplifiers that promise to offe...
04/06/2026
BackStory follows four Irish young people as they travel back to their parents' homelands
Modern Irish identity is enriched by cultures and influences from...
03/06/2026
Step sequencer-style panning tool revealed
Alongside their flagship self-titled sound-design platform, Sound Particles offer an array of creative effects an...
03/06/2026
Now features full H90 algorithm library
Eventide have announced the upcoming launch of the H9 Harmonizer Gen 2, a new and improved version of their hugely p...
03/06/2026
Significant discount available until 1 October 2026
Aim Audio have just announced a promotion that sees a significant discount applied to their Essence micr...
03/06/2026
Rohde & Schwarz to supply CERTIUM advanced communications system to Memmingen Ai...
03/06/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...
03/06/2026
RT confirms multi-channel and free to air coverage of the expanded tournament with enhanced digital features and the return of Total Football for young fans
S...
03/06/2026
03 Jun 2026
VEON to Release 2Q26 Earnings on July 31, 2026 Dubai and New York, June 3, 2026 - VEON Ltd. (Nasdaq: VEON), a global digital operator ( VEON or t...
03/06/2026
RT has today announced Heineken 0.0 as the broadcast sponsor of their FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage.
The sponsorship, brokered by Dentsu, will see Heineken 0....
02/06/2026
Musically intelligent soft synth gets upgraded
Scaler Music will be probably be best known to many for their music theory tools, but their product range al...
02/06/2026
Powerful new vocal-production tool announced
Described as a vocal performance station , Klevgrand's latest plug-in combines pitch-correction with harmo...
02/06/2026
Launched alongside Go Green sale extension
McDSP have just released the latest addition to their APB line-up, DC-2 Dual Compressor, and have also announced ...
02/06/2026
Create custom tools for Ableton Live 12 Suite
Ableton have just introduced a new open JavaScript toolkit that allows anyone to create their own custom tools...
02/06/2026
Now features full H90 algorithm library
Eventide have announced the upcoming launch of the H9 Harmonizer Gen 2, a new and improved version of their hugely p...
02/06/2026
Plus UAD Half Yearly Sale now live
The latest arrival to the Universal Audio range delivers a new native pitch-correction plug-in that's capable of deli...
02/06/2026
Rohde & Schwarz to present comprehensive performance, conformance and spectrum-m...
02/06/2026
BTL Laboratory becomes Taiwan's first test house with a CTIA Certification c...
02/06/2026
If you've kept up with this article series, you know by now where to start w...
02/06/2026
With new DSP configurations and flexible licensing options, Calrec is removing the barriers to virtualised audio, giving broadcasters the freedom to scale produ...
02/06/2026
02 Jun 2026
VEON Closes USD 1.4 Billion Bond Offering, Refinancing 2027 Notes A...
02/06/2026
Praise for series three:
The Times - sun-dappled pleasure
The Daily Mail - The Homes Counties' Charlie's Angels
The Sun - 4* this [is an] enjoya...
02/06/2026
Wuppertal June 2, 2026
Gudrun Scharler Appointed CEO of Riedel Networks The Riedel Group today announced the appointment of Gudrun Scharler as CEO of Riedel N...
02/06/2026
Trust has become a commercial issue With global advertising spend forecast to exceed US$1 trillion this year*, the commercial consequences of weak governance co...
02/06/2026
June sees Ireland's cultural calendar in full bloom, as RT Supporting the Arts showcases a vibrant and wide-ranging programme spanning music, theatre, visu...
02/06/2026
After The Traitors Ireland launched in 2025, Irish audiences proved to have a taste for the global hit reality show. This Bank Holiday Monday fans can indulge e...
01/06/2026
Category line-up & sponsors announced
Photo: Paul Clarke
The Production Music Awards (PMA) have announced that submissions are now officially open ahead of...
01/06/2026
New hybrid sample/synthesis instrument revealed
Excite Audio have just released the latest instalment in their Evolve series, which has been developed in co...
01/06/2026
Latest TONEX expansion captures three rare vintage amps
The newest addition to IK Multimedia's ever-growing TONEX line-up introduces a set of three incr...
01/06/2026
Musically intelligent soft synth gets upgraded
Scaler Music will be probably be best known to many for their music theory tools, but their product range al...
01/06/2026
Rohde & Schwarz Satellite Industry Days 2026 guided by the motto From Earth to ...
01/06/2026
Luxembourg, June 1, 2026 - SES, a leading space solutions company, and Viva, Mexico's ultra low-cost airline, launched fast and reliable multi-orbit satelli...
01/06/2026
Mardi 2 juin 14h00
FilmLight (ARRI), 10 rue Ren Boulanger, 75010 Paris
Rejoignez-nous pour d couvrir comment FLAPI (l'API FilmLight) peut transformer e...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
29/05/2026
The days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising, and playlists are filling up for the season. With summer around the corner, Spotify's global edito...
29/05/2026
New retro-inspired MPC announced
There are few devices that have gained the status held by Akai Pro's MPC range, and in recent years, the company have s...
29/05/2026
Save up to 30 on acclaimed titles
Following a successful launch at Superbooth 2026, Bjooks have revealed that they will be continuing the Kickstarter campa...
On the 13th March, Kenya announced its first coronavirus case. The government announced measures to contain the spread. However, some of the measures proved deadlier than the virus itself - Cops and Corpses, 2020 
