Wilfred Kiboro is the incumbent Chairman of the Nation Media Group (NMG) and Family Bank Limited. Kiboro has served as NMG chairman since his election to the role in 2009, steering the company into arguably the largest media conglomerate in East and Central Africa.
Kiboro holds several other major roles in various institutions in the country and is ranked among the most influential chairs of boards in Kenya.
In this article, WoK takes a look at the NMG chairman’s illustrious career, achievements, and interests held by his family company Wilfay investments Limited.
Background & Education
Kiboro was born in Kiambu on August 7, 1944. According to the NMG website, the award-winning and revered media practitioner holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering degree from the University of Nairobi.
In December 2015, Kiboro was awarded an honorary Doctor of Philosophy degree by Kenyatta University for his achievements in the media industry both locally and on the global stage.
Career
After graduating from the University of Nairobi with a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Kibori bagged a job with Shell International as a Technical Sales Engineer, a role he held until his promotion to the role of Technical Sales Manager.
As sales manager, he oversaw the manufacture, marketing, and sale of road construction products in East and Central Africa.
He would later leave Shell International and was appointed Supply, Planning and Economics Manager at Esso Kenya in 1974. Determined and focused, Dr. Kiboro was promoted to various positions, serving as the Personnel Director and Sales/Marketing Director.
Kiboro joined Xerox Kenya in 1987, and in 1989, he was appointed the company’s managing director, a role he held until 1993 when he joined Nation Media Group (NMG). At the time, the media house operated only two products, Daily Nation and Taifa Leo. In 1994, NMG launched The East African, a regional newspaper that covered events in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and recently, Rwanda.
He was promoted to the position of Group CEO in 1995 after success of the NMG subsidiaries.
NMG finally launched NTV and Nation FM in 1999. The two have gone on to become industry leaders, ruling both television and radio broadcasts for the over two decades they have been in operation.
Under Kiboro’s Stewardship, NMG successfully operated; The Nation Newspapers Division, The Nation Broadcasting Division, Nation Carriers Ltd (with Courier), Nation Marketing & Publishing, Business Directory, The Weekly Advertiser, Distribution of local and international publications such as The Economist, Time, Newsweek among others.
Others include; East African Magazines, Monitor Publications Ltd, and Mwananchi Communications Ltd.
Kiboro retired from NMG as the Group Chief Executive Officer on October 31, 2006, after working for the Company for thirteen years. He was appointed a non-executive director in December 2006 and was elected the Chairman of the Board in September 2009, a role he has held to date.
He has held various roles both locally and internationally. Dr. Kiboro is the chairman of the International Press Institute (IPI) in Kenya, the East African Business Summit and a member of the International Who’s Who of Professionals. According to his Wikipedia page, he also sits on The Rhodes Trust in Kenya as Honorary chairman and is a member of the International Organisation of Employers’ Enterprise Advisory Group.
Kiboro is also a non-executive director and is a member of the Nominations and Governance Committee. Dr Kiboro is also the Chancellor of Riara University and the Chairman of Family Bank Limited and Wilfay Investments Limited, a family-owned enterprise.
Awards
- Elder of the Order of the Burning Spear
- Leadership Shines Through – Africa
- ICT Hall of Fame – 2007 Lifetime Inductee
Philanthropy
The NMG chairman has contributed to various local and international philanthropic causes. He launched numerous environmental and humanitarian efforts during his reign at NMG, including;
- The launching of the Aberdare Forest Fund in 2002
- The launching of the Nation Turkana Relief Fund in 1999/2000
Wilfay Investments
Wilfay is an Agribusiness company that trades in Fresh culinary herbs, including chives, rosemary, mint, sage, oregano, thyme, marjoram, lemongrass and tarragon.
According to reports, the company owns a flower farm in Subukia, Nakuru County.
