By Victoria Musimbi
The Association of Media Women in Kenya (AMWIK) has entered a new chapter in its 43-year journey of championing women’s leadership in the media.”
During its Annual General Meeting held on June 28, 2025, at the Meridian Hotel in Nairobi, AMWIK announced the election of a new Board of Directors and Board of Trustees, ushering in fresh leadership to build on the organisation’s remarkable growth, governance reforms, and bold gender advocacy efforts. The leadership transition marks a moment of reflection, celebration, and renewed commitment to advancing media freedom and gender equality in Kenya and beyond.
Outgoing Chairperson Dr. Jane Thuo reflected on AMWIK’s significant progress over the past three years. “When we assumed office in 2021, AMWIK was facing serious financial instability and waning donor confidence,” she said. “Through deliberate reforms and strategic governance, we have restored AMWIK’s stability, raised our funding by 260%, strengthened our structures, and significantly grown our membership.”
Dr. Thuo highlighted key milestones achieved during her tenure, including a successful constitutional review, the development of new organizational policies, and strategic investments that have secured AMWIK’s financial future. She urged the incoming leadership to prioritise securing permanent premises and continue enhancing member services and innovation.
Executive Director Queenter Mbori echoed this message, describing 2024 as a year of both “great challenges and groundbreaking impact.” She outlined AMWIK’s leading role in journalists’ safety advocacy, particularly following the violent attacks on media professionals during the anti-Finance Bill protests. Mbori also underscored the organisation’s continued leadership in gender advocacy through initiatives such as the G7 Women Governors Initiative, the campaign for the two-thirds gender rule, and AMWIK’s bold media response to Kenya’s femicide crisis.
Financially, AMWIK closed 2024 with assets valued at KES 27.4 million, which enabled the expansion of flagship programs, including the USAID USAWA health reporting initiative that trained 139 journalists. Mbori also pointed to the organization’s landmark sexual harassment in newsrooms report, which sparked national conversations and called for urgent policy reforms to protect media professionals.
Incoming Chairperson Robi Koki Ochieng, a respected media and communications expert and Chair of the Department of Media & Communication at USIU-Africa, now takes the helm. In her inaugural address, Koki outlined an ambitious six-point agenda focused on strengthening governance, forging strategic partnerships, ensuring financial sustainability, enhancing member welfare, driving thought leadership, and embracing digital innovation to future-proof the organization.
“We are here to serve, not to dictate,” she emphasized. “Our role is to facilitate and create spaces where every media woman can thrive and lead.”
Koki will be supported by Vice Chairperson Elizabeth Limagur, a governance and conflict reporting specialist, and Treasurer Joyce Mbataru, a development communication expert. The board also includes investigative journalist Mary Mwendwa, corporate communication specialist Lynn Nzambi, senior journalist Nancy Agutu and Clara Micheni, a seasoned communications and public relations professional.
The newly appointed Board of Trustees features media academic Anne Anjao Eboi, communication professional Mercy Wairimu Maina, and health and environment reporter Victoria Musimbi.
Looking ahead, AMWIK’s new leadership is poised to consolidate the organization’s gains while tackling emerging challenges, particularly in the digital space where women journalists face growing threats of online harassment. Membership growth, innovative programming, and sustainable resource mobilization remain top priorities as AMWIK continues to shape the future of gender-responsive journalism in Kenya.