Jesse Chenge, a Kenyan Journalist has won the ICPAC award in photography category.
Chenge who is currently working in the national assembly as the communication officer was previously a nation media correspondent and received the award in Ethiopia.
Chenge worked for NTV and Nation Newspaper as the health and science journalist.
The Award-Winning Journalist has been Championing for Climate science and Health.
Born and raised in Sirisia Constituency, Bungoma County, Chenge developed the writing talent at a tender age.
While on the tour of duty in the arid landscapes of Isiolo, Northern Kenya, where the sun scorches the earth and water is a daily struggle, Chenge saw more than a crisis he saw a story worth telling.
Jesse, a seasoned Kenyan journalist and visual storyteller, has spent over a decade giving voice to the unheard.
His reporting transcends headlines, diving deep into the intersection of climate, health, and human resilience.
His recent award-winning photo feature, “Drops to the Rescue: How Isiolo Communities Harness Technology to Tackle Water Scarcity,” captured the powerful narrative of women and children using solar-powered pumps and mobile apps to access clean water redefining survival in one of the Horn of Africa’s harshest regions.
“When I see a mother walking miles in the heat just to fetch water, I don’t just see poverty I see courage, adaptation, and the untold strength of African communities,” Jesse reflects.
His work has not gone unnoticed. Jesse is the proud recipient of several prestigious honors, including the iChange Nations International Award, the Amref Health Africa Recognition for spotlighting neglected tropical diseases, and most recently, the ICPAC Climate Action Award (2025) where he clinched first place in the photography category.
“These awards are not about me,” he insists. “They are about the stories. They’re about Isiolo’s mothers, Bungoma’s plastic innovators, Turkana’s climate warriors. I’m just the messenger.”
Known for merging hard-hitting data with human-centered visuals, Jesse’s journalism brings policy closer to the people.
His investigative pieces on waterborne diseases in Bungoma have pushed county officials to rethink sanitation priorities, while his coverage of climate-induced displacement has sparked debate at both national and regional levels.
“Climate change is no longer a distant headline it’s here, and it’s personal,” Jesse says. “But solutions exist, and it’s my job to spotlight them.”
When he’s not in the field with a camera slung over his shoulder or interviewing local leaders, Jesse mentor’s young reporters and advocates for ethical storytelling in East Africa’s newsrooms.
As the continent grapples with climate unpredictability and health crises, voices like Jesse’s are more important than ever bridging gaps between policy, science, and the everyday struggles of the people most affected.
“In every village, every voice matters,” Jesse adds. “If my journalism can help even one person be seen, heard, and valued, then I know I’m doing what I was called to do.”
