Siaya, Kenya — When Siaya Today launched its groovy, modern website on 22 January 2025, few imagined it would shake Kenya’s digital media landscape this quickly. Yet less than a year later, the bold county newsmagazine has landed two coveted nominations at the 2025 BAKE Awards — New Creator of the Year and County Creator of the Year — cementing its status as one of Kenya’s fastest-rising news brands.
As online voting picks up momentum, the Siaya-based publication is already being hailed nationally as the biggest underdog story in this year’s awards.
Siaya Today’s recognition is more than a nomination — it is a triumph for county journalism in an industry dominated by well-funded media giants. Competing in the County Creator category against heavyweights like Thika Town Today, the urban business-oriented publication, Siaya Today has made an indelible mark, proving that regional media can match — and even surpass — established digital brands.
Its rapid ascent is drawing attention across Kenya, especially because it is not backed by a billionaire, political benefactor, or major corporate sponsor. Instead, it runs on public goodwill, one good Samaritan, relentless creativity, and a newsroom committed to speaking truth to power.
Siaya Today’s success is the latest chapter in a much longer story under DALANEWSKE INVESTMENT:
2013: Siaya Weekly launches as a broadsheet newspaper but collapses after its sponsor abandons political ambitions.
2015: The team rebounds with Dala Weekly.
2020 (COVID-19 era): The brand transforms into dalanews.co.ke, a fully digital news outlet.
2022 elections: The site is thrust into fierce digital battles, hacked, and taken offline for six months — yet later resurfaces stronger and more editorially grounded.
2025: A new elite brand is born — Siaya Today, designed as a punchier, SEO-optimized newsmagazine focused on development, governance, business, sports, education, and agriculture within Siaya County.
The publication quickly set itself apart by maintaining high editorial standards, breaking exclusive stories through reliable networks, and covering major events such as the historic opening of the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Stadium by two Heads of State and a former Prime Minister; the transition of Siaya Institute into a National Polytechnic; the yet-to-be-completed Siaya International Trade and Investment Conference (SITICO) fair and many others.
Beyond its investigative edge, Siaya Today is admired for its design and production quality. Until August, it ran a high-gloss monthly print edition, praised for both executive-level printing and piercing, analytical content.
The website’s performance has been equally impressive:
It secured Google AdSense monetization just three weeks after launching, a rare milestone for a regional publication.
In an era where county news sites struggle for visibility, Siaya Today has emerged as a trendsetter in Nyanza, balancing aesthetic excellence with incisive journalism.
Kenyans now have a chance to decide whether Siaya Today’s meteoric rise gets the national recognition it deserves.
VOTE HERE
https://share.google/B5iRWd0WuV1rRX1Oh
It takes just one and a half minutes to cast your ballot for Siaya Today in:
New Creator — Category 9
County Creator — Category 17
But it takes a lifetime to challenge bad governance, confront unjust laws, and expose corruption through credible, courageous journalism.
Siaya Today — Speaking Truth to Power.
Your vote, certainly, matters.
Analysts agree that Siaya Today’s impact is already secure. From a January launch to two BAKE nominations, the newsmagazine has demonstrated what determined county-based journalism can achieve: integrity, innovation, and influence.
Award or no award, Siaya Today has rewritten the script for regional media — proving that with passion, quality, and public trust, even a small newsroom can become a national contender.
Editor’s Note: The newsroom photo in the featured image is used for demonstration purposes
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