Pamella Sittoni Returns To Nation Media Group

The Nation Media Group (NMG) has appointed Pamella Makotsi Sittoni as the regional media house's Public Editor, a move that sees her make a comeback at the Twin Towers.

On June 24, 2024, Sittoni announced her departure from NMG following her 12-year stint at the Twin Towers, which supplemented her career in the media and communications space.

In a statement obtained by Viral Tea, NMG announced that Sittoni will succeed Peter Mwaura, who retired in December 2024.

"The Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Pamella Sittoni as the Public Editor of Nation Media Group PLC (NMG), effective 1st May 2025," reads the statement in part.

"The Public Editor's task is to ensure that Nation Media Group remains transparent, accessible, and accountable to its audiences, and that it adheres to both its internal editorial standards as well as the country's Code of Conduct for the Practice of Journalism."

In this role, Sittoni will operate independently as the representative of NMG audiences across the group's print, digital, and broadcast platforms. 

NMG revealed that her primary responsibility will be to handle complaints related to accuracy, fairness, balance, and ethical concerns, and to monitor overall compliance with the editorial policy and guidelines in news gathering and presentation.

Additionally, she will play a public education role, helping audiences understand the processes, norms, and responsibilities of journalism in a democratic society.

"The appointment of a Public Editor, independent of management and reporting to the Editorial Committee of the Board, is a testament to NMG's continuing strong commitment to journalistic integrity, ethical conduct and self-regulation. Further, it reflects our enduring belief in openness to critique as we pursue our mission to be the Media of Africa for Africa," added the statement.

Sittoni is a seasoned journalist and communications professional who has held several senior editorial roles across leading media organisations. 

Until June 30, 2024, she served as the Group Managing Editor at NMG, where she oversaw the output of all the Group's platforms. She previously held the positions of Executive Editor in charge of Partnerships, Managing Editor at both the Daily Nation and The EastAfrican, among other roles.

In her farewell message in June 2024, Sittoni recounted when she first walked into the Nation Centre in July 1992 as an intern from the University of Nairobi’s School of Journalism, armed with nothing other than a burning aspiration to work as a journalist.

She thanked all those who opened doors for her, who held her hand, taught her the ropes, and guided as well as corrected her, wishing that "I pray that they will all receive their reward here on earth."

"Most important are you, my colleagues, who have been a part of my journey. I couldn’t ask for better comrades in the daily battle we have waged to make the world a better place through our journalism. We’ve had exciting times, great days and some sad moments.

"We’ve done amazing journalism: produced excellent, life-defining content, written memorable headlines, created important publications and programmes, and organised major events, as we pursued our mission of transforming society positively," she wrote in part.

Sittoni Outside Achievements

In October 2023, Sittoni joined the Thomson Foundation Board of Trustees. She has won several awards in editorial leadership, including the World Association of Newspapers, WAN-IFRA, Women in News Editorial Leadership Award for Sub-Saharan Africa and the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Media Council of Kenya's 2023 Annual Journalism Excellence Awards (AJEA).