Ismaili.NET - Heritage F.I.E.L.D.

There is something about Kenya that many of our people don't seem to fully appreciate.

This is that we are a vibrant democracy surrounded by authoritarian states. Indeed I would say that some of the nations in our neighbourhood are "militaristic authoritarian states". Think about it for a minute.

In Tanzania, it's only now for the first time that there is a genuine chance of the opposition parties wresting power from the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), which has ruled since independence.

For all intents and purposes, Tanzania has been a single party state for the last 50 years.

Posted Friday, March 19 2010 at 19:11

The history of Nation and that of Kenya is closely intertwined. In this first instalment of the newly-published book, BIRTH OF A NATION: The Story of a Newspaper in Kenya, the author discloses for the first time how Mzee Kenyatta’s bid to control the media house was politely but firmly rejected.

Nairobi, Kenya: 18 March 2010 – His Highness the Aga Khan today announced the establishment of the Aga Khan University Graduate (AKU) School of Media and Communications. The School, whose initial campus will be situated in Nairobi, will aim to foster a critical mass of diverse, media leaders, enterprises and institutions distinguished by the highest standards of competence, ethics, professionalism and social responsibility. It is anticipated that the School will be formally launched in 2011, although some of its activities may begin later this year.

Posted Thursday, March 18 2010 at 13:32

The Pan African Conference got underway on Thursday in Nairobi, attracting an attendance of media experts and political leaders in discussing the role of media in an African democracy.

Chief guest President Kibaki set the pace with an acknowledgement on “the advent of citizen journalism has become possible because of tools such as SMS, blogs and social networking websites such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Myspace.”

Posted Thursday, March 18 2010 at 22:05

The Aga Khan on Thursday pledged to uphold free media. Speaking at the Pan Africa Media Conference in Nairobi, the founder of the Nation Media Group gave a firm commitment to remain focused on independent news coverage.

He told the conference that he started Nation in 1960 with the belief that newly independent African nations would thrive well where there was an independent media. He holds the same belief for the future.

Posted Thursday, March 18 2010 at 22:30

Africa’s economic future and the challenge of uniting people and nations drew eminent politicians and scholars into a historic public debate in Nairobi on Thursday.

They examined the role of a free Press in Africa, debated the path to regional integration and spoke out on the continent’s quality of leadership as the curtain rose on the Nation Media Group’s 50th anniversary celebrations.

Posted Sunday, March 14 2010 at 22:30

When the Aga Khan decided to start a newspaper in Kenya 50 years ago, his vision was to print an independent and honest publication that would help nurture an emerging democracy.

It was 1960 and the wind of change was blowing across Africa, with many of its countries just breaking free from the shackles of colonialism.

Media house

Over the past 50 years, the history of the Kenyan nation is inextricably intertwined with that of the Nation Media Group, whose story starts with the acquisition of Kiswahili publication Taifa Leo in 1959.