The Nation was founded by His Highness the Aga Khan as a voice for the majority African population as it clamoured for independence. After independence, the newspaper became an effective voice of the people. I must pay tribute to the founder and successive managements for building the company into the foremost media organisation in East and Central Africa.
Indeed, the story of the Nation has become synonymous with the story of Kenya. The two were age mates – in a manner of speaking – as Kenya attained independence three years after the group was founded. As we celebrate 50 years of publishing, the biggest factor in the Nation’s success is that the founders were genuine in their desire to have an independent media group. Over the years, the group has maintained high governance standards that have seen its media outlets through challenging times. As we march into the future, my promise to Kenya on behalf of Nation staff is that we will stay true to our stake-holders’ vision and leave a worthy legacy.
Nothing matters in this journey more than the integrity transparency and balance in journalism that we have publicly committed ourselves to. And our journalism will only be of significance if it positively transforms the society we serve, if it brings to that society social, economic and political progress. For this, I thank those who helped build this group and the equally dedicated men and women toiling today to take it to greater heights. Our dream is to be the media of Africa for Africa.
The business landscape is changing rapidly and only those who evolve to the rhythm of the digital revolution and related advances in technology will survive and grow. The Nation has always been at the cutting edge of technology. We were among the first to adopt modern printing in the sixties and similarly pioneered phototypesetting in this part of the world. We will continue to modernize our media and adjust our journalism to suit the demands of the information age even as we explore opportunities in new markets. Finally, I would like to thank everyone who has helped the Nation Media Group to what it is today. We, the management and staff, owe it to our audiences and shareholders to exceed the achievements of those who preceded us.
