AKDN | Media

The Sunday Nation and Daily Nation were launched in 1960 and gained a reputation for fair-mindedness and independence that continues to this day. Now majority-owned and run by Kenyans, the Nation Media Group also has offices in Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. It has become the largest independent media house in East and Central Africa. Its operations include a growing number of English and Kiswahili national newspapers, a regional weekly, radio and television stations, and digital media.

As well as providing an essential independent voice, the Group also contributes to Kenya’s national life through its support for health initiatives, education and community events. Its employees have been involved in campaigns that have helped plant over one million trees and restore Kenya’s forest cover. It has been involved in the delivery of education to remote villages in innovative ways. It has also been a part of Kenya’s economic development as it has invested and expanded. In 2016, it installed a state-of-the-art printing plant, representing another large investment in the country. It has been quoted on the Nairobi Securities Exchange since the early 1970s.

Launched in 2015, AKU’s Graduate School of Media and Communications provides training and advanced education for journalists, communicators, media executives and entrepreneurs in East Africa and beyond. It is dedicated to educating media leaders – and fostering media institutions – who will advance the highest standards of competence, ethics, professionalism and social responsibility in their industry. Through master’s degrees, professional development courses and an innovation centre, it aims to ensure a vibrant, independent and plural media sector in the region.

UCA offers a BA in Communications and Media, combining training in topics such as journalism, strategic communication, design, media law, languages and ethics. It aims to produce graduates sensitive to Central Asian cultures, history and development needs, who can contribute to a strong civil society in the region.