Standard Group PLC has announced the appointment of Chaacha Mwita as the company’s Acting Group Chief Executive Officer, effective July 1, 2025. The move comes shortly after the resignation of Marion Gathoga Mwangi, who led the media house for a year.
In a public notice signed by Company Secretary Millicent Ngetich, the board confirmed that Chaacha has also been appointed as an Executive Director of the board, in line with Regulation 10 of the Capital Markets (Public Offers, Listings and Disclosures) Regulations, 2023.
Gathoga, who took over the helm in July 2024, stepped down effective June 30, 2025, with the board stating she had opted to pursue other professional opportunities. “The board expresses its gratitude for her invaluable leadership and wishes her all the best in her future endeavours,” the statement read.
Chaacha Mwita brings more than two decades of experience in journalism, leadership, and media sustainability across Africa and beyond. Known for his focus on newsroom capacity building and viable business models for media, he has played key roles in regional assessments and editorial reform efforts in countries including Kenya, South Africa, Zambia, and Uganda.
He has held senior roles at leading institutions such as the Standard Group PLC (including a prior stint as Editorial Director), the Nation Media Group, Aga Khan Foundation, APHRC, and Thomson Foundation (UK). His recent board membership at Standard Group signals a continuity of vision as the company seeks a strategic reboot.
Chaacha has also served as a consultant for organisations such as Internews and UNICEF, offering expertise in journalism training, social budgeting, and parliamentary capacity-building materials.
His academic credentials include a Bachelor of Education (Arts) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Mass Communication from the University of Nairobi, an MBA from the University of St. Gallen (Switzerland), and executive education at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and the University of Luxembourg.
He is also a published author and former Fanning Fellow for Journalism at the Kettering Foundation in the U.S.
The board expressed confidence in Chaacha’s leadership, stating: “We believe Chaacha’s distinguished achievements in journalism and media leadership will add great value as we chart a renewed course—anchored in bold, independent journalism.”
As Kenya’s media landscape continues to evolve, Chaacha Mwita’s appointment is seen as both a nod to experience and a signal of transformation at one of the country’s legacy media institutions.
Source: Kenyatimes
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