Yvonne Okwara has taken up a new role at Shuga Global.
The veteran journalist takes up the Head of Investments and Partnerships role after ending eight years at Citizen TV.
Veteran journalist Yvonne Okwara has joined Shuga Global as Head of Investments and Partnerships after leaving Citizen TV. The organisation announced her appointment in an Instagram post.
The move follows her eight-year tenure at the Royal Media Services-owned station. It also marks a career shift for a broadcaster with more than two decades of radio and television experience.
New role at Shuga Global
Shuga Global previously operated as the MTV Staying Alive Foundation. The organisation uses media and storytelling to engage young people on health and social issues.
Okwara brings experience in broadcasting, moderation and communications to her new position. Her career also includes senior editorial roles at leading Kenyan media houses and advisory work outside newsrooms.
The appointment comes days after her final Citizen TV broadcast on October 27. During her farewell, she signalled a new direction but did not name her next destination.
Farewell after eight years at Citizen TV
Okwara told viewers she intended to continue building, though in a different setting. She also encouraged Kenyans to ask important questions, demand better and hold those in power accountable.
She joined Citizen TV in May 2018 after leaving KTN News. During her time there, she anchored prime-time news and hosted current affairs programmes, becoming one of the station’s most recognisable journalists.
Her departure prompted an emotional response from Royal Media Services Group Editorial Director Linus Kaikai. He described it as the toughest newsroom departure he had handled as a leader.
Kaikai also said the industry would feel her absence as he wished her well in her next chapter.
From science training to broadcasting
Before entering journalism, Okwara studied science at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. She graduated with a degree in microbiology before building her broadcasting career.
However, her interest in journalism began much earlier. She has previously said she developed that interest at around eight years old and appeared on a KBC children’s programme.
Beyond television news, Okwara moderated Kenya’s presidential debates in 2017 and 2022. She has also led high-level discussions involving prominent Kenyan and international figures.
Her professional experience includes a Bloomberg Africa Leadership Initiative Media Fellowship, alongside her newsroom and communications work.
