DAILY NATION Thursday March 18, 2010 50 GOLDEN YEARS I THE GOLDEN YEARS SOUVENIR ISSUE DAILY NATION II | 50 GOLDEN YEARS Thursday March 18, 2010 PUBLISHER : NATION MEDIA GROUP E DITORIAL DIRECTOR: JOSEPH ODINDO EDITORIAL ADVISOR: WANGETHI MWANG I PROJECT EDITOR: NICK WACHIRA C ONTRIBUTING EDITORS: GERRY LOUGHRAN, LUCY O RIANG, KIBE KAMUNYU, RUTH LUBEMBE Afte≥ 5 decades, the futu≥e C REATIVE DIRECTOR: KAMAU WANYOIKE P AGE DESIGNERS: depends on ability to adapt DENNIS MAKORI, PETER tually provide world class primary C HESERET, CONRAD KARUME The Nation has become a journalistic mzee of East and secondary education to talented students in 14 countries across three PHOTO EDITOR: Africa, writes HIS HIGHNESS THE AGA KHAN continents. I am pleased that East Af- J OAN PERERUAN rica will also host the continent’s first S THE NATION MEDIA Group from the Network’s significant experi- faculty of Arts and Sciences of the Aga PHOTO RESEARCHERS: (NMG) marks its 50th anniver- ence in East Africa. Khan University (AKU) as well as the sary, it would be too limiting The Aga Khan Fund for Economic university’s new Graduate School of NOORBEGUM KANANI, A to perceive this occasion as a mere Development is neither a charitable Media and Communication. It is my A NNIEL NJOKA, EVANS milestone in a history of a media or- foundation nor a vehicle for wealth gen- sincere hope that the school, which S A S A K A , ganization, no matter how successful. eration. It is a for-profit, international will be initially located in Nairobi and CHARLES BETT, MARIA The Nation’s path has been closely en- development agency that, because of later extended to the new Arusha cam- WAMBUA KANINI twined with the history of Kenya, East its institutional background and social pus, will help Africa in particular and Africa, and the entire continent during conscience, invests in projects, which the developing world in general to de- L EAD WRITERS: a period filled with momentous devel- will make a positive contribution to the velop an ever-stronger corps of owners, GERRY LOUGHRAN, JOHN opments. quality of life for those who are impact- media managers, public-spirited pro- K AMAU NMG itself has undergone a remark- ed by their activities. fessional journalists who will be able to able transformation. From two strug- The broader philosophy of the Aga adapt and excel in a rapidly changing gling Kenyan newspapers, one Kiswa- Khan Development Network is found- media environment. C ONTRIBUTORS: hili and one English, half a century ed on the premise that developing soci- I believe that the media in general NICK CHITTY, GERARD ago, the group has grown into the larg- eties deserve the best and that settling and the Nation Group in particular can W ILKINSON, PETER play a central role in the shaping of the CHADWICK, PHILIP OCHIENG, region and the continent in the years JOHN MCHAFFIE, PAUL NMG ITSELF HAS UNDERGONE A REMARKABLE ahead, as part of the growing influence REDFERN, JEFF OTIENO, of civil society institutions in an in- MARGARETTA WA GACHERU, TRANSFORMATION. FROM GROWN INTO THE creasingly pluralistic environment. MACHARIA GAITHO, DICK LARGEST MULTI-MEDIA ENTERPRISE IN EAST AND Indeed Kofi Annan, arbitrator of the DAWSON, YUSUF K. DAWOOD, CENTRAL AFRICA. post-election reconciliation agreement JOHN FOX, DOROTHY in Kenya, acknowledged the Nation’s KWEYU, JAINDI KISERO, work in mobilising the forces of civil MUTUMA MATHIU, ERIC est multi-media enterprise in East and for less, though often tempting, is an in- society in the cause of stability. OBINO. WANGUI MAINA, Central Africa. At the same time, the creasingly dangerous option. Our world Anniversaries tend to lend them- GAKIHA WERU, WANJIRU organization has evolved from a small is competitive: like other AKFED com- selves to reminiscing about the past— WAITHAKA, KEN OPALA, private company into a publicly-traded panies, the Nation Media Group must and, most appropriately, to saluting CALEB ATEMI, GAVIN corporation, one of the largest on the strive to meet world-class standards if those who have been a part of that past, BENNETT, KUI KINYANJUI, Kenya stock exchange, with a majority it is to thrive and grow in the globalized as I am pleased to join in doing. But of its shares owned by individual East world of the 21st century commemorative occasions also present AMOS NGAIRA,FRANK African shareholders. Our Network, I should also empha- an excellent opportunity to look toward WHALLEY, KIBE KAMUNYU, My own role in the Nation Media size, is active in a broad range of de- the future. NMG has had an impressive PHILIP MWANIKI, SHRAVAN Group has also evolved considerably. velopment fields, from environmental, record of past achievement , dealing VIDYARTHI, HEZEKIAH Seven years ago I gave my personal humanitarian and civil society projects successfully over five decades with a WEPUKHULU, DOROTHY shares in NMG to the Aga Khan Fund to microfinance and infrastructure in- wide variety of challenges and opportu- CHEBET, FRED OLUOCH, for Economic Development (AKFED) vestments, to cultural, health-related nities, and emerging as what some have MUNA WAHOME, RACHEL – the economic development arm of and educational support. East Africa called a journalistic “Mzee” of East Afri- JONES, DAVID ADUDA, SAMMY the Aga Khan Development Network has been an important setting for our ca. But now, NMG’s future will depend WAMBUA, LIZ MUTHONI, FRED (AKDN). The move not only gave NMG work in all of these arenas, including, on its continued ability to learn and to OMONDI, NJERI KIHANG’A, a new source of corporate strength most recently, major new initiatives in adapt, to attract leaders and employees COSMAS BUTUNYI, FRED but it also anchored the company in education. of the highest quality, and, driven by an OLOUCH, JENIFFER MUIRURI, a broader development philosophy For example, Kenya is the home of ethic of responsible service, maintain WILLIAM OERI . designed to bring excellence and best the first functioning Aga Khan Acad- the confidence of its reading, viewing, practices to societies in the developing emy, located in Mombasa, and one of advertising and shareholding constitu- world. It also allowed NMG to benefit a network of 18 schools that will even- ents DAILY NATION Thursday March 18, 2010 50 GOLDEN YEARS III We can’t go too fa≥ w≥ong when a nation talks to itself By PHILIP OCHIENG ple and their new state) help the last question must be a big the other Nation (the newspa- “Yes”. The two nations have been When I first joined the Nation as per group) to make its mission almost identical-minded on a a cub reporter in 1966, I never manifest by gathering, editing, large number of objective na- ceased to be intrigued by a mes- commenting on and dissemi- tional interests. sage in large print pinned on the nating information countrywide However, one nation appears inside walls of the old Nation and internationally – freely and to have progressively lapsed in House in Nairobi’s Tom Mboya without any fear of retaliation? delivering its promises to the Street. Attributed to the propri- One of the more interesting people – in terms of quantity, etor of a well known chain of features of the first edition of quality and speed – and the other London newspapers, it said: “A the Nation (in English) was a nation has tried to discharge its free newspaper, I suppose, is a cartoon depicting the Nation as duty in the division of labour NATION talking to itself”. a baby boy sleeping in its cot, – by reminding its older twin of Whoever chose it as the Na- watched by the redoubtable Tom this lapse. tion’s motto – probably Michael Mboya and Ronald Ngala among This has necessarily created Curtis (the founding managing other nationalists. Underneath tension between the two na- director) or John Bierman (the the cartoon, one commented: tions, a tension which has in- founding editor) or the Aga Khan “He’s a cute little boy, but will he creased with age. himself (the investor) -- it was a behave?” Policemen have invaded news- most appropriate dictum for The question could, of course, paper offices and confiscated or the circumstances in which the also have gone the other way. incapacitated their equipment. newspaper was being born. I was there at the place near They have clobbered journal- For it was a brilliant play on the Carnivore, Nairobi, and, ists and destroyed their cameras the word “nation”. It sought to at midnight on December 12, on public occasions. Merely for identify their coming publica- 1963, watched as the Union flag doing my duty with a critical tion with the problems and as- was lowered for good for Jomo hand, I have had to spend har- pirations of another nation in Kenyatta to hoist in its place rowing days in squalid police the last years of gestation -- the our new red-green-and-black cells. Kenyan nation. standard. Having edited an official news- By naming itself NATION Have the newspaper and the paper, I know, however, that and giving prominence to the state maintained their initial many statesmen recognise that with the biggest, raciest and throws more light dictum on the walls, the instiga- “good looks”? Have they be- the state desperately needs an most lucrative headlines. than heat into the social arena tors of the Nation were clear that haved with admiration? Have independent press. Between our two nations, it of contention. Let neither of the The first their aim was for the Nation to be they proved of adequate mutual The editors, for their part, might be called rika rivalry or two nations forget the words of Nation pub- born together with the other na- assistance? The probable answer know that, despite this unre- sibling jealousy or – as with the that London newspaper proprie- lished on tion, so that, thereafter, the two is: Not as much as the two might liability of the political class gods of mythology – “fraternal tor: A newspaper can be free only March 20, nations could grow up together have hoped for as they celebrated – nay, probably because of it – it contending”.