Hillary Ng'weno
Encyclopedia
Hillary Boniface Ng’weno is a retired Kenyan journalist. The Harvard educated nuclear scientist, a Luhya
from Samia, Busia
district, was born in Nairobi
. After graduating from Harvard with a degree in nuclear physics, Ng’weno worked as a reporter for the Daily Nation
for nine months before his appointment as the newspaper’s first Kenyan Editor-in-Chief. He resigned in 1965 and established a successful career as a journalist for more than forty years. In 1973, together with journalist Terry Hirst, he founded Joe Magazine, a political satire comic that circulated in many parts of Africa until the late seventies when its publication ceased.
Ng’weno’s publications nevertheless lasted an impressive length of time as he was the kind of journalist that favoured self censorship. His publications continued to gain popularity and The Weekly Review went on to dominate the weekly news scene for more than 20 years, becoming one of Africa’s best news magazines. Due to diminishing revenue from advertising sales, Ng'weno however, sold The Nairobi Times in 1983 to KANU
, Kenya’s then ruling party. The paper was renamed The Kenya Times but its popularity suffered as it was seen to be the mouthpiece of an oppressive government in a political era likened to dictatorship. The Kenya Times wound up in July 2010.
Ng’weno diversified his media empire which included other periodicals such as The Financial Review, The Industrial Review and Rainbow, a monthly children’s magazine. His publishing company, Stellascope was acquired by KANU when the latter purchased The Nairobi Times. The Weekly Review folded on May 17, 1999 after 24 years of publication and Ng'weno moved on to television broadcasting launching a television station, STV Kenya.
for nearly fifty years. Mrs. Ng’weno, a naturalist, writer and former editor, holds a BSc degree in Conservation. She has been actively involved in environmental issues in Kenya for more than forty years. Their two daughters Amolo Ng’weno and Dr. Bettina Ngweno are also distinguished achievers in education and media. The Havard and Princeton
educated Amolo served as deputy director of financial services for the poor on the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
. In 1994, Amolo together with two other Kenyans, Ayisi Makatiani
and Karanja Gakio, founded Africaonline one of the first internet service providers in Africa. The three Kenyans met while still students in Cambridge, Massachusetts
. Dr. Bettina Ng’weno is an Associate Professor of African American and African Studies at the University of California
, Davis.
Luhya
The Luhya are a Bantu ethnic group in Kenya. They also live in Uganda and Tanzania albeit a minor populace. They number about 6.1 million people, being about 16% of Kenya's total population of 38.5 million.Luhya refers to both the people and their language...
from Samia, Busia
Busia
Busia may refer to the following:Places*Busia District, Kenya*Busia District, Uganda*Busia, Uganda, the Ugandan town on the border with Kenya*Busia, Kenya, the Kenyan town on the border with UgandaPeople...
district, was born in Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
. After graduating from Harvard with a degree in nuclear physics, Ng’weno worked as a reporter for the Daily Nation
Daily Nation
The Daily Nation is a Kenyan independent newspaper. It is the most influential newspaper in Kenya with a daily circulation of about 205,000 copies. The total readership is likely to be higher as each copy is read by a large number of people...
for nine months before his appointment as the newspaper’s first Kenyan Editor-in-Chief. He resigned in 1965 and established a successful career as a journalist for more than forty years. In 1973, together with journalist Terry Hirst, he founded Joe Magazine, a political satire comic that circulated in many parts of Africa until the late seventies when its publication ceased.
Career in Journalism
In 1975, Ng'weno founded The Weekly Review, a journal of political news, commentary and analysis followed in 1977 by The Nairobi Times, a Sunday newspaper that later became a daily. At the beginning, The Weekly Review and The Nairobi Times being locally owned enterprises, fared well in a field dominated by the (then) foreign owned Daily Nation and The Standard but like other local papers, they faced stiff competition from the established papers for little or lack of advertising from the mostly foreign companies in Kenya. Because the advertising community was still controlled by foreigners, it tended to favour the foreign owned publications. Advertisers were also not too keen to deal with publications that were likely to stir the wrath of the government with inflammatory political reports.Ng’weno’s publications nevertheless lasted an impressive length of time as he was the kind of journalist that favoured self censorship. His publications continued to gain popularity and The Weekly Review went on to dominate the weekly news scene for more than 20 years, becoming one of Africa’s best news magazines. Due to diminishing revenue from advertising sales, Ng'weno however, sold The Nairobi Times in 1983 to KANU
KANU
KANU or Kanu may refer to:*Kenya African National Union*KANU , a radio station licensed to Lawrence, Kansas, United States*Kanu - a kabuki play*Kanu Hawaii, a Hawaii based non profit...
, Kenya’s then ruling party. The paper was renamed The Kenya Times but its popularity suffered as it was seen to be the mouthpiece of an oppressive government in a political era likened to dictatorship. The Kenya Times wound up in July 2010.
Ng’weno diversified his media empire which included other periodicals such as The Financial Review, The Industrial Review and Rainbow, a monthly children’s magazine. His publishing company, Stellascope was acquired by KANU when the latter purchased The Nairobi Times. The Weekly Review folded on May 17, 1999 after 24 years of publication and Ng'weno moved on to television broadcasting launching a television station, STV Kenya.
Personal life
Hillary Ng’weno has been married to Fleur Ng’weno (nee Grandjouan), a native of FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
for nearly fifty years. Mrs. Ng’weno, a naturalist, writer and former editor, holds a BSc degree in Conservation. She has been actively involved in environmental issues in Kenya for more than forty years. Their two daughters Amolo Ng’weno and Dr. Bettina Ngweno are also distinguished achievers in education and media. The Havard and Princeton
Princeton
-Princeton, New Jersey:*Borough of Princeton, New Jersey*Princeton Township, New Jersey*Princeton, New Jersey -Other places in New Jersey:*Princeton Junction, New Jersey*Princeton Meadows, New Jersey...
educated Amolo served as deputy director of financial services for the poor on the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is the largest transparently operated private foundation in the world, founded by Bill and Melinda Gates. It is "driven by the interests and passions of the Gates family"...
. In 1994, Amolo together with two other Kenyans, Ayisi Makatiani
Ayisi Makatiani
Ayisi Makatiani is the Managing Partner and CEO of which manages the Fanisi Venture Capital Fund for investing in East Africa . Makatiani has been featured in The Economist, Fortune , CNN, NHK, BBC, Financial Times and has been voted several times by his peers as the most respected CEO in East...
and Karanja Gakio, founded Africaonline one of the first internet service providers in Africa. The three Kenyans met while still students in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
. Dr. Bettina Ng’weno is an Associate Professor of African American and African Studies at the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
, Davis.
External links
- http://www.abeingo.org/HTML_files/luhyafirst.html
- http://www.reference-lobal.com/doi/abs/10.1515/abpr.1979.5.3.157
- http://www.afronline.org/?p=17734
- http://www.printweekmea.com/kenya-times-to-say-bye-after-27-working-years-c-17-n-481.html
- http://www.naturekenya.org/Executive%20committee
- http://www.ruffordsmallgrants.org/rsg/Projects/FleurNgweno
- http://www.brown.edu/Research/Breaking_Ground/bios/Grandjouan_Claireve.pdf