Former Citizen TV Journalist Waihiga Mwaura Earns International Recognition

Waihiga Mwaura, a BBC journalist, has been listed among the 100 Most Reputable Africans of 2026, a highly competitive award that identifies anyone who has a significant impact on the lives of people in the African continent and the world in general.

The award underscores the contribution of Mwaura in journalism and how he is still dedicated to presenting genuine African tales on the international platform.

The announcement makes Mwaura one of the admired leaders, innovators, and change-makers whose efforts have influenced the masses on critical issues, motivated communities, and helped Africa develop in other sectors.

In the case of Mwaura, the honor is one of the milestones in a career characterized by professionalism, integrity, and intense interest in storytelling.

In a statement issued on Monday, January 12, Mwaura said that he was grateful and humbled as the accolade was a surprise at the beginning of the new year. He also owes his career to the influence of faith, family, and colleagues who contributed to the shaping of his career, and he acknowledges them.

First thing out of the new year, and I am pleased to make the list of the Top 100 Reputable Africans of 2026 with my name.

Well done to the other awardees,” Mwaura said. I am extremely thankful to God, my wife, and my colleagues who have supported me.

In addition to the celebration, Mwaura took the occasion to reinstate his desire to practice journalism. He said he was determined to remain on the edge in 2026, and he had a goal of telling the truth, being accurate, and having balanced reporting. In his view, responsible journalism should depict the entire African realities, the successes, challenges, and the ugly truths.

He continued to say that he is eager to challenge the frontiers of journalism in 2026 to make sure that truth and reality will prevail in the narrative about the African continent and the diaspora. This is the accentuating of the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The African voice is gaining more prominence in the world, especially in the media, technology, and civic affairs, and Mwaura is emerging as a voice of Africa during this time. His success is an extension of a larger pattern of African professionals receiving international recognition of their work and impact.

His appearance in the list comes right on the heels of another well-known international recognition of a changemaker in Kenya. Months ago, technology activist Rose Njeri garnered global recognition after being included on the TIME100 Next list of 2025, a list that highlights upcoming leaders who are defining the future.

Njeri wrote in a statement made on Tuesday, September 30, that the honor was a collective effort and not a personal one.

She thanked the individuals who helped, fought, and encouraged her during her technology and activism life.

I am extremely proud and thrilled to tell you that I have been listed in the 2025 TIME100 Next list, Njeri wrote. This is not my recognition but that of all people who have gone through this path with me, critiqued me, and motivated me to move on.

The success of Njeri evoked the national leaders and other figures of the population to go wild in her praise. Some who also congratulated her included the Wiper Party leader, Kalonzo Musyoka, who commended her boldness, creativity, and determination to transform Kenyans using technology.

This is a congratulatory message to Rose Njeri, who has been included in the 2025 Time 100 Next List. Your boldness, creativity, and determination to empower the Kenyans with technology are very inspiring indeed, Kalonzo said.

He also commended Njeri because she managed to put a platform in place that resonated with the youths and gave a voice to those who spoke against injustice. Kalonzo believes that her work depicted the power, resilience, and potential of the young people in Kenya and ignited the basis of discussion with a global audience.

In establishing a platform that gave a voice to thousands of people against injustice, you demonstrated the power and the determination of our youth in the face of the world, he added.

It is a testament to the fact that the future of our nation is in the right hands.

The combination of both the international acknowledgments of people like Waihiga Mwaura and Rose Njeri helps emphasize the increasing role of Africa in defining the global discourse, as well as to point to the strength of media, technology, and civic engagement in changing the world for the better.