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Featured Articles

Explore a featured selection of my work below.

Human Rights Center, UC Berkeley •

Abuse of Journalists in Uganda: A Documentary by Marion Apio

In this powerful documentary, investigative journalist and former HRC student fellow Marion Apio explores the harsh realities faced by journalists in Uganda, shedding light on the systemic abuse, censorship, and dangers that threaten the lives of journalists and press freedom in the country.

Produced in partnership with the UC Berkeley Human Rights Center, Media Challenge Initiative, and Berkeley Journalism, the film highlights the resilience of new and veteran journalists and the urgent need for reforms to protect the future of journalism in Apio’s home country.

Through compelling interviews, on-the-ground footage, and in-depth analysis, the film calls for global attention to the growing challenges faced by media professionals in one of Africa’s most subtly repressive environments. Watch to understand the personal and professional cost of speaking truth to power in Uganda today.
Solutions Now Africa •

Climate Class Model Improves Farm Yields, Livelihoods in Rural Uganda

Regenerate Africa was convinced that for the program to grow beyond its pioneers, it should establish a peer mentorship and learning structure.“We teach the concept to host communities through quarterly trainings in the first year. We then pick a select group of farmers who have masterfully and successfully replicated the model home concept. These farmers undertake additional training before graduating as trainers of trainers.” explains Regenerate Africa Programs Lead Niona Nakuya Kasekende.Rona...
Oakland North •

‘Customers aren’t taking the risk’: growing retail crime upends Oakland business community

By Marion Apio

Sarpreet Oberoi has been to various In-N-Out Burger locations in the Bay Area over the past eight years and found news that the Oakport outlet was closing because of crime “saddening.” 


He believes it’s a good spot for a fast food company, with plentiful parking, lots of customers, and a vibrant retail corridor. But it’s law and order that matters, he said. 


Major chain businesses are leaving or reducing operations in Oakland due to crime. However, small business owners are trying to face...
Richmond Confidential •

Council to consider permitting twice as many cannabis businesses in Richmond

By Marion Apio

Richmond wants to add cannabis retail permits, doubling the number of permitted dispensaries from three to six.


On Tuesday, the City Council will hold a public hearing on making the change possible, by amending the Richmond Municipal Code. The city staff says existing retailers are making significant revenue, even in the face of increased competition. But those in the business say sales have been declining post-pandemic. And some advocacy groups feel there is a health risk in increasing the n...
Richmond Confidential •

What is going on with Hilltop Mall?

By Marion Apio

Twenty years ago, the Hilltop Mall was the place to be in Richmond. It was a bustling shopping area full of life, and around this time of the year, it would have been extra busy with holiday shoppers. Today, the mall is vacant and isolated, stores are empty and dark, with only Walmart open. 


But Hilltop’s owner says the site has a promising future providing three things Richmond needs: employment opportunities, retail space and mixed-use housing. 


Prologis, an industrial real estate compan...
Richmond Confidential •

Reserving some profits for the community makes good business sense for Richmond printer

By Marion Apio

Leftside Printing survived COVID-19, the Great Recession and the decline of print, and yet it is still here. A colorful shop on 15th Street and MacDonald Avenue, it has an unfamiliar smell of ink and a humming noise coming from the printing machines. 


“I started Leftside to change my life and my community,” Diego Garcia, Leftside CEO, said. “Things have been difficult, but here we are.”


While the general consensus might be that screen printing is dead, Leftside has not only survived, but t...
Richmond Confidential •

Richmond Kaiser staff join 'biggest' health care worker strike in U.S. history

By Marion Apio

More than 400 Kaiser Permanente health care workers at Richmond Medical Center are on Day 2 of the strike that is expected to end at 6 a.m. Saturday. 


Holding signs that said “Respect and value healthcare workers” and “Our patients need more staff,” they marched in a circle around the building in 90-degree heat, chanting “We are union, health care union.” Car horns honked and passersby cheered for the workers, who went on strike Wednesday demanding that Kaiser hire more union workers to addre...
The Debunk Factchecking Show - Facts •

The Power of Good Journalism: Global Media Forum 2023 Ignites Change for Next-Gen African Journalists - The Debunk Factchecking Show

“Good journalism goes beyond simply reporting facts; it encapsulates the power of storytelling and social transformation. Next-gen African journalists like myself need to utilize this power to uncover stories that resonate deeply with communities. By highlighting issues of social injustice, corruption, environmental degradation, and economic inequality, we journalists can shed light on the challenges faced by our fellow citizens, bringing these issues to the forefront of public consciousness.” M...
The Observer •

Let us fight online violence against women in politics - The Observer

By Marion Apio

According to Pollicy’s ‘Amplified Abuse’ report, violence against women is a tool used to intimidate and exclude women from political participation and decision-making. This research revealed that during the 2021 general elections in Uganda, women candidates compared to their male counterparts were trolled, received sexualized violence and body shaming.There is an urgent need to end online abuse and also fight Online violence against women politicians (OVAW-P) in Uganda. There is a need to ideat...
Medium •

Here’s how to break into Data Journalism — A journalist’s perspective

By Marion Apio


Four years ago, If you had asked me to participate in a discussion about data, I would have shied away from it. Like many, we grow up believing that topics such as data, Artificial Intelligence, and machine learning are as foreign as anything else within STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).Working with data, however, is like stepping into vast, unknown territory. At first, as was the case with me four years ago, raw data is puzzling to the eyes and to the mind. Such data is...
Makerere University News •

Prof. Kagonyera urges students to fight ignorance - Makerere University News

By Marion Apio

The former Chancellor of Makerere University Prof. Mondo Kagonyera has challenged University students to take on the mantle of leadership in the fight against ignorance in various communities.

“For development to surface on the African continent, leaders have to resolve ignorance first since it is the sole cause of all African problems,” Prof. Kagonyera said...