In 1994, the Mombasa port received a shipment of powdered milk. As protocol dictated, the Kenya Radiation and Protection Board ran tests on the milk and found shocking results. The milk, procured from Eastern Europe, contained high levels of radioactive contamination. This was owed to the Chernobyl disaster that had taken place eight years prior. This story made national headlines after Otula Owuor reported about it after receiving a tip-off from a trusted source.
Otula’s journalism not only protected the health of many innocent consumers but also began a conversation about the detrimental effects of environmental pollution on the food chain. More importantly, it raised concerns about attempts by some European countries to dump contaminated food products on the world market, specifically in Africa. Otula had been a seasoned journalist for years by the time he was covering this story. His journey into this profession began in the 1960s while taking his O-levels at Kisii High School.
At school, two realms commanded Otula’s attention. The first was found beneath the microscope lens: Otula had an affinity for science subjects and enjoyed the study of microorganisms. The second realm was found inside books that fascinated him. He enjoyed stories, and so spent countless hours absorbed in books and newspapers.
These interests remained even after he completed his A-levels at Homa Bay High School. At the time, tertiary learning institutions in Kenya had yet to introduce a degree in microbiology. To further his education, Otula moved to the US and enrolled at the University of Texas at Arlington for his undergraduate studies. Seeing this as an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone, Otula also enrolled for a journalism degree and took the courses concurrently. Studying microbiology and journalism presented Otula with the unique job opportunity of editing scientific journals. His training in both fields had prepared him adequately for this work. He carried it out until he obtained his Microbiology Master’s degree.
Otula returned to Kenya and became a reporter for the Daily Nation after being away from home for a decade. One of the first stories he covered was about pollution in Nairobi. He moved around Nairobi documenting what he saw and reached out to research institutions located within the capital to bolster his story with facts. At the end of it, he presented an in-depth, well-researched piece run on Page 6. This section was the reserve of newspaper editorials. Not many journalists starting out in the profession could boast of this accomplishment.
Soon after joining the Nation, Otula took on the task of covering science stories. There is an irrefutable interconnectedness between environmental, agricultural, and health issues. These were, and are still categorized as science stories in many newsrooms. Otula created a niche for himself in this space. He attended press conferences at the United Nations Environment Program and other research institutes to scope out stories. One of the most pressing matters he wrote about was climate change, an issue that scientists had just begun cautioning the world about. Because of his work, Daily Nation created a weekly section dedicated to health and environment stories. With time, Otula rose the ranks from a reporter to a senior reporter to the editor of the Science Desk.
After ten years working at the Daily Nation, Otula was ready to strike out on his own. He stepped away from formal employment to become a consultant. In this role, he continued writing science stories for various publications and offering editorial advisory to research institutes. He founded Science Africa in 1994, a consultancy firm that allowed him to offer this strategic communication. While at it, the firm also conducts training programs for emerging science journalists.
Otula’s dedication to his craft merited recognition in 2022, when he received a lifetime achievement award from the Media Council of Kenya. It is his unwavering determination to report on environmental matters and mentor the next generation of science journalists that makes him one of #OurGreenHeroes.
