MCL editorial boss wins top EA award

MCL executive editor Bakari Machumu displays the Titans – Building Nations Award shortly after it was presented to him on Friday night at the Hilton Hotel.  PHOTO | NDAYA MGOYO

What you need to know:

  • Mr Machumu was named by a South African organisation, CEO Communications, one of the winners of the Titans – Building Nations Award, which recognises influential leaders in various economic sectors across Africa.

Nairobi. Mwananchi Communications Limited (MCL) executive editor Bakari Machumu has scooped this year’s award for exceptional leadership in the media sector in Tanzania and East Africa at large.

Mr Machumu was named by a South African organisation, CEO Communications, one of the winners of the Titans – Building Nations Award, which recognises influential leaders in various economic sectors across Africa.

During the same award ceremony, which took place at the Hilton Hotel in Nairobi on Friday night, Tanzania’s minister for Livestock and Fisheries Development, Mr Titus Kamani, was also feted for emerging top in the Best Government Employee (Africa) category.

Speaking after the awards, Mr Machumu expressed his joy at being honoured, adding that the award was an appreciation and recognition of the media’s role in socio-economic development.

“The media has a role to inspire change in society. African leaders should appreciate the role of the media and partner with them to inform as well as educate the society,” he said, said, adding: “African leaders, Tanzanians included, are duty-bound to ensure that their people have the freedom to engage in public discourse on issues affecting them to inspire development; they should refrain from viewing the media as an enemy.”

The overall winner was a Kenyan business executive, Dr Manilal Chandaria.