Kingsley Obeng Kyere -Journalist of the year 2013
As a child, he loved to read and write. He also loved to keep abreast of current issues in the media so much that he used his pocket money to buy newspapers. Having identified that reading side of him, he started contributing short stories to The Mirror, as well as writing for the “My Turn” column in the same newspaper.
Advertisement
Anytime his articles were published, he became elated that he searched for more topics to write about.
But all that while it had not occurred to him that those acts were gradually carving out a career in journalism for him.
Sharing his childhood experiences with the Junior Graphic, Mr Kingsley Obeng Kyere, who was adjudged the Best Journalist of the year 2013 by the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), said his dream was to become a doctor but after his GCE Ordinary Level, his grades in the Arts subjects were better than those in the Science subjects.
That was when his family advised him to shift from Science to Arts which finally landed him in journalism.
Obeng Kyere comes from a family where placing first in class is no news because that is what is expected of every child.
In keeping with that tradition, he was forced to study hard and instead of toys his mum bought him many books which encouraged him to read.
“Even though sometimes I went out to play a little, I spent most of my time reading because there were libraries around,” he said.
But Young Kingsley's childhood was not all about books. He also loved to play games such as “gutter race” in which everyone picked a little stick and put it in a gutter to see which one floated faster. The child whose stick floated fastest won the game, he said smiling. He, however, added that “we played in the gutters those days because they were very clean”.
Kingsley also loved to use his time wisely and engaged in the arts and craft which was taught in school. Through that he learnt how to weave door mats, make fans, etc. In Class Four, he became the first person to start writing with a pen because of his nice handwriting.
He was born into a family of eight and attended the Bishop Boys’ School. From there, he continued to the Ebenezer Secondary School. His class was the pioneer group to be moved from Mamprobi to the new site at Dansoman. 
He left Ebenezer Secondary for the New Juabeng Secondary/Commercial School in 1989 where he wrote the GCE Ordinary Level Examination.
He continued to the Ofori Panin Secondary School at Kukurantumi Akyem for the GCE Advanced Level course.
After writing and contributing to news commentaries for nine years, Kingsley finally got employed at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation where he has worked on almost 30 different programmes.
Working with children has been his passion. He hosts the children and youth programme, “Curious minds” and “Gems of our time” in which he champions the welfare of young people through media and community activities.
He also serves on the Advisory Committee of the National Child Protection Policy and the Interim Steering Committee of the State of the Union Platform.
I work with young people and anytime they manage to struggle through the challenges because of the encouragement and support I give to them and are able to complete school and gain meaningful employment, I feel very happy,” he said.
Though awards and certificates constitute some level of achievement for everyone, for Kingsley, nothing could be compared to the joy he derives from making a positive impact on someone’s life.
When asked how people would describe him, he said they would say “I am shy and don’t talk much, but those who get close to me know I talk to the right people and at the right time.”
He is married to Bernice Obeng Kyere and they have two daughters, Melissa and Rebecca.