Julie Gichuru Recognized As One Of 100most Influential Africans

Media personality, Julie Gichuru has been named one of 100 Most Influential Africans of 2017 by The New African Magazine.

Julie, who is a TV Host, public speaker and Chief Executive Officer of Arimus Media Limited (AML) has been working on growing local productions through AML. Some of the established programs produced are current affairs television shows Africa Leadership Dialogues and Great Debaters Contest and entertainment series Shinda Washinde.

Gichuru is the Executive Producer and Host of pan African television show Africa Leadership Dialogues and is the Founder and Patron of the Great Debaters Contest, a high school debate platform that hosted 700 high schools in 2017. The debates challenge students to understand, internalise and debate matters of national, continental and global importance, building their knowledge and capacity. 

In 2017  leading Kenyan telco Safaricom supported SDGs awareness and education on this platform to educate high school students across Kenya on Sustainable Development Goals. Gichuru has also worked with MasterCard Foundation to support the participation of girls in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) under the program Girls for Tech.

The list – the magazine’s most diverse to date –  is spread over eight categories: politics and public service; business and finance; civil society and activism; education; science, technology and innovation; media; arts and culture; and sport – profiles both continental and Diasporan Africans nominated by their peers and industry insiders.

“What our readers will find pleasing, is the almost bewildering diversity of this list –  in terms of race, ethnic and national diversity. This list, if nothing else, displays the beauty and power of the diversity that makes the Africa we all love,” says Omar Ben Yedder – Group Publisher and Managing Director of IC Publications.

For the first time since the magazine began publishing this acclaimed end-of-year list 5 years ago, the 2017 list features 42 women out of the hundred, the highest number of female entries so far.

“Our criteria for “influential” this year was a fairly simple one – it is applied to people whose work or activity has had some sort of transformative effect outside their main calling. This effect results in a change of perception or provides inspiration to others. Many in our selection have shattered the proverbial glass-ceilings or disability stigma and do so with great bravery, determination and personal sacrifice. Others yield economic power that impacts world markets,” explains Anver Versi, the magazine’s Editor.

He adds: “African talent in the arts, culture, sports and technology has also has a huge impact on changing the world’s perception towards Africa and its people.”

Other Kenyans who have made the list include Supreme Court Judge Justice David Maraga and Nutritionist, Africa Food Prize Winner Prof. Ruth Oniang’o in the Public Service Category, Hellen Obiri, the 5000m World Champion and double champion Faith Kipyegon in the sports category and James Mworia – MD and CEO of Centum Investments in the Business and Finance Category.