Veteran Kenyan journalist and media executive Julie Gichuru has returned to Nation Media Group (NMG), 18 years after leaving its television arm, NTV Kenya, for Citizen TV.
Gichuru has been appointed an Independent Non-Executive Director on NMG’s revamped board, marking a new chapter in her relationship with the media company where she established herself as one of Kenya’s prominent television journalists.
Her return comes at a significant moment for NMG, which has undergone a major ownership transition that has triggered changes to its board of directors.
Unlike her previous tenure, when she worked in front of the camera and in editorial roles, Gichuru will now operate at the corporate level, contributing to NMG’s governance and strategic direction.
Gichuru joined NTV in 2005, becoming part of the television station’s formative team as it established itself in Kenya’s competitive broadcasting industry. During her three-year tenure, she took on several responsibilities, including working as a news anchor and Current Affairs Editor.
She also hosted and worked on several political and current-affairs programmes that helped establish her reputation as a serious television journalist. Among the programmes associated with her tenure at NTV were Showdown, On the Spot, You the Jury and The People’s Voice.
Her work went beyond presenting. She was involved in the production and development of current-affairs programming, giving her experience in both editorial decision-making and television production.
Her time at NTV helped position her as one of the prominent faces of Kenya’s emerging 24-hour television news landscape. Gichuru left Nation Media Group in 2008 and joined Royal Media Services, where she continued her television career at Citizen TV.
At Citizen TV, she hosted Sunday Live with Julie Gichuru, a programme that featured interviews and discussions on politics, business, society and other national issues.
Her work earned her recognition both locally and internationally, while her experience expanded beyond television presentation into leadership, communications and other professional initiatives.
Gichuru’s new position is significantly different from the roles she held during her first stint at NMG. As an Independent Non-Executive Director, she will participate in board-level discussions and decisions concerning the direction and governance of the media company.
Gichuru is among six new directors appointed to NMG’s board. The other incoming directors are Julius Kang’ethe Kipng’etich, Juliana Rotich, Wilfred Musau, Bharat Thakrar and Georgia Mutagahywa. Their professional backgrounds span financial services, technology, marketing, corporate leadership, governance and media.
Kipng’etich is the CEO of Jubilee Insurance Group, while Rotich is a technology expert and CEO of Kehmett. Musau previously served as Managing Director of National Bank of Kenya, while Thakrar is the former CEO of Scangroup. Mutagahywa serves as Chief of Staff to the Chairman of Taifa Group.
The appointments have also resulted in the departure of four long-serving NMG directors. They are Sultan Ali Akbar Allana, Fayyaz Nurmohamed, Al-noor Ramji and Professor Nancy Booker.
Their exit follows the completion of a transaction that significantly changed NMG’s ownership structure.
Taarifa Ltd, owned by Tanzanian businessman Rostam Aziz, acquired the 54.08 per cent stake previously held by the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development.
NMG Chairman Joe Muganda said the new directors bring diverse expertise that will help the company respond to the changing business environment.
