Smriti Vidyarthi Lands Top Role After Leaving NTV

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global environmental nonprofit organisation that works to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends.

Founded in 1951 in the United States, TNC has since grown into one of the largest and most influential conservation groups in the world, operating in over 70 countries. Their work spans a wide range of environmental efforts—from protecting rainforests and coral reefs to promoting sustainable agriculture and tackling climate change.

What sets TNC apart is its science-based, pragmatic approach: they work with governments, corporations, and local communities to find solutions that balance ecological health with human needs. Rather than just focusing on preservation for preservation’s sake, TNC leans into collaborative problem-solving.

They often purchase land to protect it, but they are just as known for influencing policy and helping develop market-based solutions like carbon credits or water funds. 

Before her prime time news bulletin on Monday, February 10, she took to her social media to express gratitude to the regional media house...and Kenyans as a whole...for trusting in her and supporting her for 16 and a half years.

After the bulletin, the TV station shared a compilation of tributes from her colleagues at NMG, who narrated their own experiences of not just working with her but also interacting with her on a personal level. 

Vidyarthi was renowned for her extensive career at NTV, where she served as a senior news anchor and editor. She is the granddaughter of Girdhari Lal Vidyarthi, a pioneer of the free press in Kenya. 

She pursued higher education in the United Kingdom, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Performance Studies from the University of Warwick and a Master's Degree in International Broadcast Journalism from City University. 

She began her journalism career at K24 as a news anchor in January 2008. In September of that year, she joined NTV, where she anchored major live events and breaking news, and conducted interviews with prominent figures such as Raila Odinga, Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame, U2 lead singer Bono, and three-time Olympic Gold Medalist Usain Bolt. 

In addition to her role as a news anchor, Vidyarthi produced and hosted NTV Wild Talk, a program dedicated to wildlife conservation and environmental issues. Her work on this show involved raising awareness about wildlife conservation and environmental issues. 

Vidyarthi joins a growing number of former journalists and media personalities taking up roles in communications and Public Relations (PR).

Notably, her former colleague at NMG, Oliver Mathenge, took up a role as a consultant with Oxygène Marketing Communications Ltd, a role he landed almost a month after announcing his exit from the Nation Media Group (NMG).