Monicah Waceke Ndung’u, is currently the Chief Corporate Affairs, Marketing and Partnerships Officer at Nation Media Group (NMG), overseeing Corporate Affairs, Marketing, and Partnerships, including The Nation Media Foundation. Previously, she also handled Strategy, Product Innovation, and the Broadcasting Division within the Group. Before joining NMG, she was the General Manager for Kwese Free TV Kenya Limited and also worked with Kenya Broadcasting Corporation and Uganda Broadcasting Corporation in overall channel management, programming, partnership building, change management, and product development. Monicah is a Pew Research Center Media Advisor, Member of The International Emmy Awards committee, a Non-Executive Director at Care International Kenya, a WAN-IFRA Supervisory Board Member, a Chevening Scholar, a holder of an MA degree in Communication Policy from The University of Westminster (UK), and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Electronic Media) Daystar University.
Remco Steen is a digital advertising professional with over 17 years of deep expertise in Adtech business and product development across both the sell-side and the buy-side of the digital ecosystem.
Caroline is a trained journalist with 17 years experience in print and online media and she is currently Head of Storytelling and Visual Content at Burson in Kenya.
Previously she was Digital Editor of the Digital at Standard Group Plc, where she was responsible for growing online audiences for broadcast and print brands in the Group namely: KTN Home, KTN News, Standard newspapers, Nairobian, Radio Maisha and the Standard Group online assets that include: www.standardmedia.co.ke, www.sde.co.ke – Kenya’s #1 entertainment website, www.farmers.co.ke, and Ureport.co.ke – a citizen journalism website. Before joining Standard Group, Caroline worked at Genesis, a global internet consumer company with headquarters in Kiev, Ukraine. While at Genesis, she started www.tuko.co.ke Kenya’s first viral news website that disrupted the Kenyan media landscape in 2015. She was the first Managing Editor of Tuko that started out as a “Breaking News” website.
Digital press circulation specialist based out of Paris, Laurence has worked in content licensing and content acquisition for more than 12 years: at Aday, a French Media Monitoring Organization, at Factiva – Dow Jones business research information platform – and currently at PressReader, the leading global digital newsstand. Her role is to help publishers to reach new audiences and to generate extra revenue besides their direct subscriptions.
Khalil is an advocate for audiences-driven approaches in the media industry. He provides expertise, perspectives, and tools to help newsrooms and purpose-driven organisations shape better societies. With focuses on user needs, product work and AI, he does consultations, advises and mentors teams and individuals at media organisations around the world. A frequent speaker at industry conferences, Khalil also serves as Head of Special Projects at The Conversation.
Lyndsey Jones is a publishing consultant, digital transformation expert, strategic advisor and coach, working with media groups in Africa and Europe either independently or via WAN-IFRA, Women in News, FT Strategies and other consultancy agencies.
Arun is responsible for leading Google’s key industry research partnerships with the news ecosystem and strategy & work with emerging news voices. Over the last 10 years, he’s overseen the Google News Initiative’s work in Latin America, launched the Global Digital Growth Program and led strategy for the Google News Lab. He began his career at Google on the Chief Marketing Officer’s strategy team. Prior to Google, Arun launched digital media startups and spent time in management consulting. He is a native of Texas.
Meilleur Murindabigwi is a Rwandan media entrepreneur and the CEO of IGIHE, one of Rwanda’s leading media and creative companies. With a vision to modernize storytelling in Africa, he has spearheaded IGIHE’s transformation into three specialized units; media, technology and creative production, serving high-profile clients. Beyond business, Meilleur is passionate about strategic communications, youth empowerment and building world-class teams that shape narratives from Rwanda to the global stage.
Prof. Nancy Booker is an Associate Professor and the Dean at the Graduate School of Media and Communications . She has had a distinguished career as an academic, teacher, researcher, administrator, leader and media practitioner with over 20 years experience. Prof. Booker specializes in broadcast journalism, multimedia storytelling, media management and health communication and research and has several academic publications in these areas. She has also been trained in leadership at Harvard.
Prior to joining GSMC Nancy was head of the Department of Journalism and Communication at Multimedia University of Kenya and was actively involved in teaching, mentorship, research, and curriculum development. She previously taught at Daystar University and at ABC University in Liberia where she set up the Media and Communication Department in post-war Liberia.
She had stints at the national broadcaster, KBC, and later Nation Media Group’s flagship, NTV, where she honed her skills. Today she is a regular commentator on local TV stations.
Prof. Booker continues to contribute to the media industry in the region in significant ways. Presently she serves as one of the seven members of the Media Complaints Commission, an independent arm of the Media Council of Kenya, which adjudicates complaints against the media.
Victor Amani Mushi is Executive Editor, Digital Innovation at Nation Media Group, leading audience and content strategy across Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda. With a background in newsroom leadership, digital transformation, and youth-centered communications, Victor has shaped cross-platform innovation in both media and public interest campaigns. He brings deep insight into East Africa’s evolving media landscape and the intersection of storytelling, technology, and audience engagement.
Bertrand is Vice President of Publishers and EMEA at Nordot, where he leads strategic partnerships, global publisher acquisition, and content marketing initiatives across the digital news ecosystem. Based in Europe, he is driving Nordot’s growth in the EMEA region, helping publishers and creators maximize reach and revenue through licensing, innovative models, and cross-border distribution.
Prior to Nordot, he held several leadership roles at the mobile news platform Upday (part of Axel Springer Group) between 2017 and 2024, including Editor-in-Chief and Country Manager for France, Belgium, Spain, and Italy, and later as Acting Chief Editor Europe. In these roles, he led editorial teams, shaped audience and content strategies, and contributed to innovation efforts around AI and newsroom transformation.
Until July 2025, Zidni served as Head of Subscription Growth at Harian Kompas (Kompas.id), one of Indonesia’s leading media outlets, known for its 58-year commitment to high-quality journalism.
Rob Rose is a veteran South African journalist and co-founder of Currency, a new digital publication focused on financial news and investigative reporting. Formerly editor of Financial Mail, he is a multiple award-winning journalist, known for his in-depth reporting on corporate fraud and financial misconduct. Rob is also the author of Steinheist and The Grand Scam, and a Nieman Fellow at Harvard.
Based in Nairobi, Tosin brings over a decade of experience in brand strategy, cultural insight, and digital innovation across Africa. He leads strategic initiatives at Scanad Africa and co-founded Brandversations Africa, a platform dedicated to empowering brand builders across the continent. Tosin has developed award-winning campaigns for leading agencies including Dentsu, Publicis, and Leo Burnett, and is a regular contributor to Brandingmag.
Christine is a journalist and editor based in Nairobi. She recently joined The Continent as News Editor and was previously the curator at Baraza Media Lab. A 2018 Nieman Fellow at Harvard, her writing has appeared in The Washington Post, Al Jazeera, and The Africa Report.
Probe is an independent media company founded in 1987, known for producing some of Philippine television’s most iconic programs such as The Probe Team, 5 and Up, and Cheche Lazaro Presents. Today, it continues to create content across platforms, drawing on its Probe Archives, a collection of over 30 years of documentaries and raw footage on politics, environment, arts, culture, and social issues.
In 2021, Probe launched TSEK/EKS, a fact-checking and anti-disinformation campaign that has reached more than 6.6 million people through compelling videos, social media formats, and collaborations with popular content creators. In 2023, Probe became a signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network at the Poynter Institute.
Citra Dyah Prastuti is the Editor-in-Chief of KBR (PT Media Lintas Inti Nusantara), Indonesia’s largest radio news agency, where she has led a newsroom of 25 journalists across radio and digital for nearly a decade. Under her leadership, KBR produces high-quality journalism for a network of 500 partner stations and develops award-winning podcasts under the brand KBR Prime.
With over 15 years of experience in broadcast and digital journalism, Citra has managed flagship programs such as Saga and Asia Calling, and has taught journalism at the University of Indonesia and Bakrie University. A former Chevening Scholar, she holds an MA in Critical Media and Cultural Studies from SOAS, University of London.
Dr. Lydia Radoli is a Senior Lecturer in Media & Communication, Social Researcher, and Associate Dean at the School of Communication, Daystar University. She earned her PhD in Media, Migration, and Development from Brandenburg University of Technology-Cottbus, Germany, and has been a Visiting Scholar at BTU-Cottbus and a Research Fellow at Leuphana Institute of Advanced Studies in Culture and Society (LIAS-CAS).
She is the Founder of Diaspora Radio, an online platform dedicated to changing African narratives through a transnational perspective, and a Fellow of the African Good Governance Network (AGGN). A former broadcast journalist, she has worked with Radio Waumini, Contact FM, and Uganda Radio Network, and has contributed to several diaspora and African-focused media platforms. Her latest research explores the psychological impact of violent visuals on journalists.
Joe is the Editor in Chief at the Nation Media Group, the largest media house in East and Central Africa. He is in charge of journalists and editors developing content for print, broadcast and digital platforms. An accomplished journalist of more than 25 years, Joe has co-moderated two presidential debates in Kenya besides serving in the steering committee of two of the debates in Kenya. He has authored two book chapters ‘The Tuner and Tube’, in the book “Pioneers, Rebels and a Few Villains: 150 Years of Journalism in Africa”, published by Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and ‘Remote Options: Experimenting with Television Journalism in East Africa’, in the book “Media Pandemics: Seeking Journalistic Answers in Eastern Africa”, published by the East Africa Editors’ Forum. He has also been published in academic journals, including in the Sustainability Journal in the article “Beyond Access: A Critique of the Legalist Approach to Dissemination of Climate Change Information in Kenya”. He is a PhD candidate in Media Studies at Daystar University, Kenya.
As Group managing editor at MediaMax, Emeka Mayaka led the transitioning of the People Daily, Kenya’s first free newspaper to be the first digital pure news content product in the country. The People Daily journey is an experiment beyond legacy. Mayaka is a holder of a masters degree in journalism, a doctoral student in strategic communication and a leading expert in product development, growth and digital transformation in Africa.
Angela is a technologist, community builder, and open-source software advocate passionate about building and using appropriate technology tools to impact the lives of marginalized groups. She has over ten years of experience in software development, global community engagement, and non-profit organizational management. She is the Executive Director at Ushahidi, a global non-profit technology company that helps communities quickly collect and share information that enables them to raise voices, inform decisions and influence change.
lphonce Shiundu joined Africa Check in January 2017 as Kenya editor. He was previously parliamentary editor of Standard Group Plc. Before then, he was a journalist at the Nation Media Group. He has experience and expertise in new media training, newsroom convergence and publishing technologies. He holds a masters degree in media and development from the University of Westminster, London; a bachelors in information sciences from Moi University in Kenya. He’s a Chevening scholar; an alumnus of the School of Authentic Journalism (Mexico), the Professional Fellows Exchange Programme (Washington DC), and the Young African Leaders Initiative (Nairobi). He believes in holding power to account. In his free time, he climbs mountains.
As Senior Program Officer for Amplify South Africa, Khumo is responsible for the program’s grant funding management, coordinating capacity-building initiatives (workshops, training, coaching and mentorship) to the cohort, and communication and marketing (writing weekly and monthly blog posts, newsletters, website updates and social media updates). Khumo holds a Master of Management in Innovation Studies from Wits Business School and a BSc degree and honours in Urban and Regional Planning from Wits University. She previously worked as Project Manager at the South African Cities Network.
Misako Ito is a specialist of information and communication with 20 years of experience working in the UN and development organizations in Africa, Europe, Arab States and Asia. At UNESCO Office in Nairobi, she leads UNESCO’s Communication and Information programme in Africa. Prior to joining Nairobi, she worked at UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok where she represented UNESCO in the Regional Memory of the World Committee in Asia and the Pacific. During the post-Arab Spring period, she advised the Government of Morocco and Tunisia for the reform of the media sector, the legislation on freedom of information and the participation of
women and youth in public policies.
Misako is Japanese and she is an engineer in information technology graduated from HEC School of Management and Mines ParisTech in France. Before joining UNESCO, she worked for the French Development Agency and the Institute of Research for Development in Western and Central Africa.
Chris Roper is deputy CEO for the continent’s largest federation of civic technology and data journalism labs, Code for Africa (CfA).
Using over two decades of insights from building Africa’s largest online news and content portals, Chris shapes CfA’s civic engagement and scaling strategies. He also serves as director for CfA’s forensic data initiative, the African Network of Centres for Investigative Reporting (ANCIR). From 2015 – 2019, Chris’ role at CfA was underwritten by a Knight International Fellowship, with the International Centre for Journalists (ICFJ).
Julia Majale is the current Managing Director at Tuko.co.ke, Kenya’s leading digital media house. She is a multi-skilled journalist with over a decade of experience, having worked in diverse roles as an editor, writer, and social media in digital and legacy media.
She has a track record of modern editorial practice and newsroom management, having served as Managing Editor for four years.
A beneficiary of the Women in News Leadership Accelerator Programme (2021) and listed among the Top 25 Women in Digital 2021 by SOMA Awards, she has had over 10 speaking appearances across local and international summits on digital media, journalism, and leadership.
Susan Nsibirwa is the Managing Director of Nation Media Group Uganda, where she oversees a wide portfolio including The Daily Monitor, The East African, Ennyanda, KFM, Dembe FM, NTV, Spark TV, and Nation Couriers.
Before taking up this role in 2024, she served as Managing Director at Ayiva Consulting Solutions, and earlier co-founded and led Urge Uganda, a full-service communications agency specialising in strategic marketing, PR, media planning, and sector training.
She also spent eight years as Head of Marketing and Communications at Vision Group, managing a 30-member team and driving brand strategy, corporate positioning, PR, and product launches.
With more than a decade of leadership in media and communications, Susan brings extensive expertise in strategy, business growth, and brand sustainability across East Africa’s media landscape.
Slindile Khanyile CEO at Likhanyile Tutoring & Media; Editor of Umbele & Umkhanyisi
Slindile Khanyile is a South African media entrepreneur and co-founder of the Likhanyile Group, a boutique media firm dedicated to producing niche vernacular content. With over 25 years of experience in both legacy and new media, she has built a strong reputation for combining sharp editorial skills with business acumen. Through Umbele, an isiZulu financial publication, and Umkhanyisi, an isiZulu education and careers digital magazine distributed via WhatsApp, she is broadening access to financial news and educational content for underserved audiences.
Susan Makore is a highly experienced media management professional known for her expertise in coaching, training, and governance. She currently serves as Deputy Executive Director Programme Strategy for the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) Women in News (WIN) program. She has served as Women in News Advisory Senior Manager for Africa and has extensive experience in executive coaching.
As a Certified Coach belonging to the International Coach Federation, Susan has developed subject matter expertise in media management, business strategy, managing work relationships, sexual harassment in the workplace, and gender balance in the media. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Media and Cultural Studies, a Bachelor of Arts in English, History, and Economic History, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Media and Communication Studies.
Olga Muteiwa is a seasoned and experienced all round Marketer. She has a career spanning across over 25 years in the field, in both Zimbabwe and South Africa. She has extensive practical experience in all aspects of advertising, brand development, concept and strategy, public relations, events, print, digital and in the past 5 years has cut her teeth in broadcasting for both terrestrial radio and digital tele-radio.
She has worked across sectors enabling the growth of several brands, and positioned them to become the most preferred print, digital or broadcast brands in the industry. She is passionate about the creation of content and is keen on being part of the solution that future proofs the Next Generation.
Dan Aceda is the founder of SemaBOX, Kenya’s first specialist podcasting studio. Launched in September 2020 during the pandemic, SemaBOX was created to help emerging podcasters share their stories with the world. It has since grown into the country’s largest podcast producer by both volume and hours of content.
Richard is a physical security trainer and trauma medical trainer having worked for SEPAR International in Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Zambia. His other duties include training and evaluation, participant adult learning, consultancy (investigating, diagnosing, advising, evaluating, partnering), design (designing programmes, materials, activities, opportunities), team working (supportive, dependable, collaborative) and crisis management skills.
Daniel Kalinaki heads Nation Media Group’s editorial operations in Uganda. He previously worked at NMG Nairobi where he ran the Africa operation and contributed to the drafting of the Group’s digital strategy. He has also previously edited The EastAfrican and the Daily Monitor newspapers. Kalinaki chairs the Uganda Editors’ Guild and is a past president of the Eastern Africa Editor’s Society.
