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Mr Muganda giving his public lecture

Dedan Kimathi University of Technology in Nyeri was honored to host Group Chief Executive Officer of Nation Media Group for a public lecture on his experience on how to prepare for the business world and the big industry. Mr. Joe Muganda was emphatic in his lecture that students and young people have what it takes to lead the country to the next level.

He stated that you also must be the best you can be and its only possible if you’re authentic. Be real and do you. What works for Jack won’t necessarily work for Fiona so find out what works for you and build on it. You must be diverse and expose your self to environments outside your comfort zone. They say a person who has never left his home believes his mom is the best cook. By being exposed you have different views and perspectives on issues and one is able to make better decisions based on those factors.

Mr. Joe Muganda has a very impressive CV. Before he went to NMG, he was a Managing Director East African Breweries Ltd – Kenya. Prior to joining EABL, he had served in several senior positions at British American Tobacco, Unilever and Barclays Bank.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in economics, accounting and financial management from Buckingham University and an MBA from University of Leicester. He is known for his expertise in marketing, communication management, corporate and regulatory affairs and general management which he has built over a long career at leading multinational corporations across several markets in Africa.

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DeKUT Auditorium filled to capacity

During the public lecture, he gave a lot of insights about the corporate world. He encouraged students to do what they find interesting in life and that life is about making choices and every choice has its consequence. He explained about his theory ,’ The tyranny of the Or versus the tyranny of the And’ . Growing up he believed that he did not have to compromise something in order to get another but instead worked hard to ensure he got most if not everything he wanted.

He gave an analogy about a time NASA crew was stuck in space and there was some sort of on crisis. The guy in charge said that no American had ever died in space and none would die on his watch. He had the right attitude and by that they were able to figure out a way to get the crew back on earth. You must have that type of attitude that believes anything is possible. In the job market most people have certificates and necessary qualifications but at the end of the day, it’s attitude over aptitude.

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Light moments during the lecture

According to Mr. Muganda, Kenya and Africa at large has some of the best policy frameworks in the world but the style of governance practiced inhibits implementation of such projects. The government system is marred by tribalism, corruption and bureaucracy among other bottle necks that make it unnecessarily hard to do business in Kenya.

He said that the youth have what takes to produce a new breed of development conscious leaders if they utilize the opportunities available to them and maximizing on their talents.

He described the expansion of digital media as complimenting the existing traditional media. NMG have been putting a lot of resources on digital storytelling and he believes that there is still time before print media becomes outdated.

The packed auditorium of the Dedan Kimathi University was certainly well informed and challenged at the end of the lecture.

Photos: Jeff Ng’ang’a