The journey of Najma Ismail, who was once a reporter and news reader at Classic 105 and now works at the powerful Office of the President, is a testament to the power of determination, talent, hard work and probably, luck.
She has not only carved her path but also left an indelible mark on the landscape of journalism, especially for female journalists in Kenya’s media landscape.
Najma, with her mellow voice, and flawless Queens Language, began her career at Iqra FM in the early 2000s, where she worked as a news anchor and reporter.
Afterwards, she joined Sound Asia FM in the same position, becoming a hot cake on radio.
In 2006, Ismail joined Radio Africa Group as a news reader and reporter. Here she worked for the popular English radio stations; Classic 105 FM and Kiss FM, becoming a household name behind the mic.
Najma Ismail stint at Standard Group
Najma spent close to ten years at the Standard Media Group (SMG). During this period, she held various positions rising from a news reporter to a liaison manager.
To begin with, she served as news anchor and a senior reporter for three years between May 2013 and May 2016.
Afterwards, Najma was immediately promoted to be an Editorial Liaison Manager. She held this position for six years and eleven months up to March 2023 when she was appointed to the office of the president.
Further, Najma served fulltime at the SMG Gender Editor and Liaison Office a position she held for two years between February 2021 to January 2023.
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Tourism Regulatory
Prior to her appointment at State House, served as a Member of the Board of Directors of the Tourism Regulatory Authority.
Najma was appointed to this position by former Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala on August 8, 2020.
Further, she held this position up to March 2023, a period of two years and 8 months, after the current Tourism CS Peninah Malonza revoked her appointment. CS Malonza’s cancellation came two weeks before her appointment at the State House.
Najma at State House
Najma Ismail currently serves as Director Media Relations at the Executive Office of the President, State House Kenya.
She was appointed to this position on March 2023 and serves at the media relations department.
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Other Positions
Also, Najma is a former Goodwill Ambassador for the Kenya Education Fund (KEF).
She previously worked at the Kenya Education Fund (KEF) from June 2019 to September 2021.
Education
Najma holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication and Journalism from Kenya Methodist University – KEMU. She pursued her degree between 2016 and 2019. She also attended Aga Khan High School, Nairobi.
