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Mwananchi Communications Ltd is a company based in Tanzania. Mwananchi Communications Ltd, engages in the print media and digital media, and is the publisher of Tanzania's leading daily newspaper, '' Mwananchi'' (in Swahili), and others such as ''The Citizen'', ''Sunday Citizen'', '' Mwananchi Jumapili'', Mwananchi Scoop and '' Mwanaspoti''. The executive editor is Victor Mushi and the ''Mwananchi'' daily managing editor is Joseph Nyabukika. Michael Momburi heads ''Mwanaspoti'' in Tanzania and Kenya. Sanga, a former Managing Editor is regarded as the sports journalism guru in the region. His influence in sports led Kenyan media to start sports newspapers, such as ''Sports On'' and ''Game Yetu''. Mpoki Thomson is the Managing Editor of ''The Citizen Daily and Sunday Citizen'', which have contributed much to socio-economic changes in Tanzania and in the region as well. Upon his appointment to the Managing Editor role in January 2021, he became the youngest editor to hold such a position at 28 years old. Bakari Machumu, who once served as the Executive Editor is now the Managing Director of the company. Mwananchi Communications Limited was established in May 1999 by Ambassador Ferdinand Ruhinda as Media Communications Ltd. But in April 2001, a new business was established (Advertising Agency & Public Relations) and a new company was formed—Mwananchi Communications Ltd. In the very same year Mwananchi Communications Ltd was acquired by the
Nation Media Group Nation Media Group (abbreviated as NMG) is a Kenyan media group listed on the Nairobi Stock Exchange. NMG was founded by Aga Khan IV in 1959 and is the largest private media house in East and Central Africa with offices in Kenya, Uganda, and ...
(NMG), which is based in Nairobi, Kenya.


Location

It is headquartered at Plot No. 34/35 Tabata Relini on Mandela Road, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. It is part of the
Nation Media Group Nation Media Group (abbreviated as NMG) is a Kenyan media group listed on the Nairobi Stock Exchange. NMG was founded by Aga Khan IV in 1959 and is the largest private media house in East and Central Africa with offices in Kenya, Uganda, and ...
, a publicly listed company, quoted on the
Nairobi Stock Exchange The Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) was established in 1954 as the Nairobi Stock Exchange, based in Nairobi the capital of Kenya. It was a voluntary association of stockbrokers in the European community registered under the Societies Act in ...
, and has about 7,500 shareholders. Its principal shareholder is the
Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development SA is a Swiss for-profit entity and international development finance institution which invests in countries of East Africa, West Africa, Central Asia, and South Asia. It is based in Geneva, Switzerland ...
, an agency of the
Aga Khan Development Network The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) is a network of private, non-denominational (de jure) development agencies founded by the Aga Khan that work primarily in the poorest parts of Asia and Africa. Aga Khan IV succeeded to the office of the 4 ...
.


History

The history of Mwananchi Communications Ltd. can be traced back to 1999 when Hon. Ferdinand Ruhinda started a communications company known as Media Communications Ltd, which saw an important need to introduce a daily Swahili paper '' Mwananchi'' registered on April 20, 2000. On May 27, 2000, the first copy of ''Mwananchi'' was launched. It was a 12-page newspaper retailing at Sh150. The market at the time was not as fragmented as it is now, as there were only three mainstream daily Swahili newspapers in the market as opposed to the eight mainstream daily Swahili papers today. This paper has since had continuous improvement for format and presentation that has seen its leadership position in the market sustained. Shortly after the launch of ''Mwananchi'', a biweekly sports newspaper '' Mwanaspoti'' was launched on February 12, 2001, respectively. It was a 12-page sports paper retailing at only Sh100. This paper has also gone through tremendous improvement for content and format to ensure that the ever changing needs of its readers are met. After two and half years of successful operations of the two products, in April 2001, the role of publishing was handed over from Media Communications to a newly registered publishing company, Mwananchi Communications Ltd. In December 2002, Nation Media Group of Kenya purchased controlling interests in the company and this has since helped to ingrain the company with world class values in editorial management including standardizing the group's editorial policies. Having registered ''The Citizen'' with Tanzania Information Services (Maelezo) on March 2, 2001, the paper was only fully launched and published on September 16, 2004, to become the fifth English daily newspaper in the market. The Company's publications were printed by contract until 2005, when it acquired a secondhand printing press from Australia. In 2020 it was ordered by the
Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority The Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA), established by the TCRA Act No. 12 of 2003, is an independent Authority for the postal, broadcasting and electronic communications industries in the United Republic of Tanzania. It merged th ...
to suspend the online publication of ''Mwananchi'' for six months and pay a fine of 5 million shilling for publishing "misleading information that caused confusion in the community". Two of its employees were arrested and charged accused of breaching the cybercrimes act of 2015.


Newspapers

;English language newspapers *''The Citizen'' – An independent English newspaper in Tanzania *''The Citizen on Sunday'' – The Sunday edition of ''The Citizen'' ;Swahili-language newspapers: *''Mwananchi'' – Leading daily newspaper in Tanzania *''Mwanaspoti'' – A biweekly sports and entertainment newspaper *Mwanaspoti Kenya - Kenya’s first and leading Kiswahili sports newspaper *''Mwananchi Jumapili'' – The Sunday edition of Mwananchi newspaper *Mwananchi Scoop - Swanglish digital magazine for youth that covers stories on entertainment and sports, stories, gossip, career and skills, technology, health, fashion and money management


Magazines

;English language magazines: *''Your Health'' – a health magazine published every Monday and carried in ''The Citizen'' *''Political Platform'' – a political review magazine published every Wednesday and carried in ''The Citizen'' *''Success'' – an education review magazine published every Monday and carried in ''The Citizen'' *''The Beat'' – a magazine focusing on entertainment and showbiz issues published every Friday and carried in ''The Citizen'' *''Business Week'' – a business magazine published every Thursday and carried in ''The Citizen'' *''Woman'' – a woman's magazine published every Saturday and carried in ''The Citizen'' * ''Sound Living'' - A family magazine that features uplifting stories that happen in society ;Swahili-language magazines: *''SpotiMikiki'' – a sports magazine published every Monday and carried in ''Mwananchi'' *''Siasa'' – focuses on analysis of the recent political events and investigative stories; a pullout published every Tuesday and carried in ''Mwananchi'' *''Maarifa'' – a platform for sharing among students and teachers. It is a pullout published every Wednesday and carried in ''Mwananchi'' *''Uchumi'' – a magazine that focuses on business news, events, and economic matters, it is published every Thursday and carried in ''Mwananchi'' *''Jungukuu'' – a society issues magazine published every Friday and carried in ''Mwananchi'' *''Starehe'' – a sports magazine published every Saturday and carried in ''Mwananchi'' *''Johari'' – a special pull-out magazine targeted at the female reader, with articles on fashion, decor, beauty, short stories, parenting advice etc., published every Sunday and carried in ''Mwananchi Jumapili''


References


External links


thecitizen.co.tz
– official website for ''The Citizen''
mwananchi.co.tz
– official website for ''The Mwananchi''
mwanaspoti.co.tz
– official website for ''Mwanaspoti''
mwananchiscoop
- official website for Mwananhi Scoop
mcl.co.tz
– official website for Mwananchi Communications Ltd {{Agha Khan Fund for Economic Development Mass media in Tanzania Companies of Tanzania Nation Media Group Companies established in 1999 1999 establishments in Tanzania Mass media in Dar es Salaam Newspapers published in Tanzania