This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page . (Learn how and when to remove these messages)
|
Samuel Kamau Macharia | |
---|---|
Born | 1942 (age 82–83) |
Nationality | Kenyan |
Citizenship | Kenya |
Occupation | Businessman |
Known for | Founder and chair of Royal Media Services |
Samuel Kamau Macharia (born in 1942), also known as SK Macharia, is the founder and chairman of Royal Media Services, one of Kenya's largest private radio and television networks. Royal Media Services' flagship outlets are Citizen TV and Radio Citizen. In 2012, Macharia was on the Forbes Top 10 List of African Millionaires to Watch. [1] He was on The Africa Report 's 2013 list of the 50 most influential Africans. [2] He was also honoured with the 2015 Eastern Africa Ernst and Young Entrepreneur Lifetime Achievement Award. [3] [4]
Samuel Kamau Macharia was born in 1942 in Ndakaini Village, Murang’a County, Kenya. He is the second of four children, who were squatters working on British settler plantations under the colonial government.[ citation needed ] The family subsequently moved to Embu, Kenya.[ citation needed ]
In 1988, Macharia was enrolled in Standard 1 (first class or year of primary school) at Wango Boarding Primary School. He later attended Karaba Secondary School from 1996, where he took the Kenya Certificate Secondary Education (KCSE) Examination.[ citation needed ] Macharia begun his studies at Embu College in 2005 and pursued a Diploma in Business Management, Sales and Marketing, graduating in 2007.[ citation needed ]
After his return to Kenya in 1969, Macharia worked as a provincial local government finance officer (supernumerary) in the Ministry of Local Government. He then worked with the Industrial and Commercial Development Corporation (ICDC), as well as Kenya Industrial Estates (KIE). In 1973, Macharia was appointed as head of a task force charged with auditing and later liquidating the Agricultural Development Corporation.[ citation needed ]
In 1979, Macharia left public service to run Madhupaper International Kenya Limited, a tissue production company he founded three years earlier. By 1985, Madhupaper was the only Kenyan tissue manufacturer and had 300 employees. Its main product, Rosy, became a household name. The company was placed under receivership on 25 October 1985 by Kenya Commercial Bank. [5] [6]
As of 2016, the international research firm Ipsos cites Citizen TV as having a 62.5% share of the Kenyan television market. [7] Royal Media Services radio stations have a combined audience of 80% of Kenya's population. Its main radio station, Radio Citizen, has a 43% market share. [8] Other Royal Media Services brands include Inooro TV, Ramogi FM, Inooro FM, Musyi FM, Chamgei FM, Muuga FM, Egesa FM, Bahari FM, Mulembe FM, Wimwaro FM, Sulwe FM, Hot 96, and Vuuka FM. [9]
Macharia is married to Purity Gathoni Macharia and, together, have six children (two girls and four boys). Gathoni is the sister of former Kenyan Cabinet Minister Njeru Githae and Syracuse University Professor Micere Githae Mugo. [10]
The Kamba or Akamba people are a Bantu ethnic group who predominantly live in Kenya stretching from Nairobi to Tsavo and northwards to Embu, in the southern part of the former Eastern Province. This land is called Ukambani and constitutes Makueni County, Kitui County and Machakos County. They also form the second largest ethnic group in 8 counties including Nairobi and Mombasa counties.
Jeff Mwaura Koinange is a Kenyan journalist and host of Jeff Koinange Live, a talk show on Citizen TV since February 2017. He was also a radio host, alongside Nick Odhiambo, on the breakfast show at HOT 96, the English-language station owned by Royal Media Services. He was a judge representing Kenya at the new East Africa's Got Talent, which premiered on 4 August 2019. He served as the Africa correspondent for CNN and CNN International from 2001 to 2007, and later as chief reporter at TV station K24 from 2007 to December 2012. Before joining KTN, he worked with KTN on his branded news program, Jeff Koinange Live. He had earlier served as the chief anchor Africa for Arise Television Ltd based in Johannesburg. He joined East Africa's Got Talent as a judge alongside Gaetano Kagwa, Makeda Mahadeo and Vanessa Mdee.
Mass media in Kenya includes more than 91 FM stations, more than 64 free to view TV stations, and an unconfirmed number of print newspapers and magazines. Publications mainly use English as their primary language of communication, with some media houses employing Swahili. Vernacular or community-based languages are commonly used in broadcast media; mostly radio.
Robinson Njeru Githae is a Kenyan politician. He belongs to the Party of National Unity and was elected to represent the Ndia Constituency in the National Assembly of Kenya since the Kenyan parliamentary election, 2002. He has served as assistant minister in the ministries of justice, transport and local government before being appointed a minister in the ministries of Nairobi Metropolitan then Kenya's finance minister. He was appointed by President Uhuru Kenyatta as Kenya- US ambassador on 14/08/2014. He was later transferred to Vienna in May 2019 as Kenya’s ambassador to Austria where he is currently serving.
Nation Media Group (NMG), formerly known as East African Newspapers Ltd, is an East African media group based in Kenya and listed on the Nairobi Stock Exchange. It is owned by Aga Khan IV.
Macharia is an African name from the Kikuyu people, the largest ethnic group in Kenya. It is given to baby boys. The name means "the one who looks" or "the one who searches"
Mĩcere Gĩthae Mũgo was a Kenyan professor, playwright, author, activist and poet. She was a literary critic and professor of Literature, Creative Writing and Research Methods in the Department of African American Studies at Syracuse University. She was forced into exile in 1982 from Kenya during the Daniel Arap Moi dictatorship for activism and moved to teach in the United States, and later Zimbabwe. She taught Orature, Literature, and Creative Writing.
Laila Macharia is a Kenyan lawyer, businesswoman, entrepreneur and angel investor based in Nairobi, Kenya's capital city. She sits on the boards of a number of national, regional and international enterprises, including (a) Africa Digital Media Group (b) Absa Bank Kenya Plc and (c) Centum Investments.
Christopher John Kirubi, born in Murang'a County, was a Kenyan businessman, entrepreneur, and industrialist. He was a director at Centum Investment Company, a business conglomerate, of which he was the largest individual shareholder.
Julie Gathoni Sumira Gichuru is a Kenyan businesswoman, entrepreneur and media personality with investments in media, fashion retail and entertainment sectors. She is an independent director at Acumen Communication Limited and is a fellow and trustee of the Africa Leadership Initiative EA.
Henry K. Rotich is a Kenyan civil servant who was nominated by President Uhuru Kenyatta as Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury on 23 April 2013. On 14 January 2020, Rotich, who had been arrested on charges of corruption, was removed from this position.
Patrick Quarcoo, popularly known as PQ, is a Ghanaian Kenya-based serial entrepreneur. He is the founder and chief executive officer of Radio Africa Group, which is an umbrella of among Kenya's leading media channels on print, digital, TV and radio. This include KISS 100, Classic 105, Smooth FM, Radio Jambo, East FM, Gukena FM, the Star newspaper and KISS TV. Quarcoo and his Radio Africa Group co-founder, William Pike also own two radio stations in Uganda, Capital Radio and Beat FM. He came to Kenya from Reuters Uganda in the 90s to start up a media company. In 2012, Quarcoo was awarded an international recognition award at the Ghana UK-Based Achievement Awards.
Macharia Kamau is Kenya's Principal Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He previously served as Kenya's representative to the United Nations and as the former President of the UNICEF Executives Board.
Polycarp Igathe Kamau is a Kenyan businessman, politician and corporate executive, He acts as the Chief Commercial Officer in Equity Group Holdings. He had earlier served as the Vice President in charge of Sales and Marketing in Vivo Energy Africa. Before that, he had served as the Chief Commercial Officer of Equity Bank Kenya, between May 2018 and September 2018 when he was later promoted to the managing director position.
Anne Kiguta is a former Kenyan journalist, a talkshow host and a news anchor. She hosted political show at K24 TV Every Sunday at 9 pm. She also previously worked for Hope FM, Capital FM, KTN, and Citizen TV.
Peninnah Gathoni Muchomba, also popularly known as Gathoni Wa Muchomba, is a Kenyan journalist, entrepreneur and politician. She is the Member of Parliament for Githunguri Constituency in the bicameral Kenyan parliament since 2022 and a member of the ruling party, the UDA.
Azziad Nasenya Wafula is a Kenyan actress, content creator, media host and social media personality. She is popularly known as Kenya's TikTok Queen. Active since 2019, she has successfully modeled for brands such as Linkosiclothing L&C and Home 254, among others.
TV47 is a television channel based in Kenya. It is owned by Cape Media Limited, an affiliate of Mount Kenya University. It was launched in 2019 by Cape Media Limited, Eugene Anangwe as the Chief Executive Officer and its main broadcast languages are English and Kiswahili. TV47 is a late entrant in the mass media in Kenya. There are more than 50 television stations in Kenya. These stations include Citizen TV, by Royal Media Services of Samuel Kamau Macharia, Kenya Television Network by The Standard (Kenya), NTV by Nation Media Group, and K24 TV by Media Max Limited.