PROF. WILSON UGANGU, Associate Dean - Faculty Media and Communication - Multimedia University of Kenya
Ugangu

PROF. WILSON UGANGU, Associate Dean – Faculty Media and Communication

CURRICULUM VITAE

Name: Prof. Wilson Ugangu
Nationality: Kenyan
Residence: Nairobi, Kenya
Current Position: President- East Africa Communication Association (EACA), Senior Lecturer of Media Studies & Associate Dean, Faculty of Media and Communication- Multimedia University of Kenya
Areas of Specialisation: Media Studies, Media policy in developing societies, international communication, media and conflict studies
Contacts: wilsonugangu@gmail.com/wugangu@mmu.ac.ke                                              +254 704 013 781/+254 733 866 923

Education

2008-2012 Doctor of Literature & Philosophy (D. Lit et Phil- Communication Science) University of South Africa, Pretoria, SA
2004-2006 Masters of Arts in Communication Studies University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya

199-2000

1992-1996

Post Graduate Diploma in Mass Communications

Bachelors of Education

(English and Literature)

University of Nairobi, Nairobi Kenya

Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya

Key Qualifications

Wilson Ugangu is an Associate Professor of media studies at the Multimedia University of Kenya, and holds the administrative position of Associate Dean, Faculty of Media & Communication Studies. He has taught and practiced communication for close to twenty (20) years. During this period, he has provided academic leadership & mentorship, written and researched extensively on topics relating to Kenya’s and Africa’s media and attendant issues of policy, democracy & participation, media & conflict, international communication and globalization, training and research.

Currently, Ugangu serves on the board of the East Africa Communication Association (EACA). He is also the immediate former president of the association (2018-2023). In 2023, he was appointed to the advisory board of the EU funded Erasmus+ project on Communication, Migration and Mobility- E-Learning Programs and Newsroom Applications for Sub Saharan Africa (CoMMPASS)

In 2021 he served on a government of Kenya Special Taskforce on the country’s national media policy. In early 2018, he was appointed to the Board of Postgraduate Studies, at the Multimedia University of Kenya and serves as external examiner for common undergraduate and postgraduate exams, and thesis research at several local and regional universities. He has taught undergraduate and postgraduate courses in the area of media and communication at the University of Nairobi, Moi University & currently, at the Multimedia University of Kenya.

Ugangu has worked in key strategic media and communication-related roles with various organizations including the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) as a regional information officer for Eastern Africa, the African Council on Communication Education (ACCE), as Programme Coordinator for Africa and Africa Woman and Child Feature Service (AWC) as Programme Manager. He has served in various consultancy roles for several national and international organizations, including UNESCO, former UNIFEM (now UN Women), JICA, ILRI (CCAFS), ASARECA, COMESA, and Open Society Initiative among others. In 2021, Ugangu successfully completed a comparative regional study of east Africa’s media landscape and the state of press freedom and freedom of expression for the DW-Akademie. In 2007, Ugangu was selected as an Esther Karpatkin media fellow with the Consumers Union, Washington DC.

Selected Publications

Book Chapters:

Ugangu, W. 2021. In the Realm of Uncertainty: Kenya’s Ghetto Radio as Politicized Space, In Decolonizing Political Communication in Africa: Reframing Ontologies, edited by Mutsvairo,       B & Karam, B. Routledge

Ugangu, W. 2019. Journalism Training in a changing African Society: the case of Kenya, in Journalism and Journalism Education in Developing Countries, edited by Beatrice Dernbach     & Beate Illg, Manipal, India: Maniapal Universal Press

Omanga, D & Ugangu, W. 2018. Digital Chieftaincy: Social Media, Register and Community Policing in Kenya, in African Language Digital Media and Communication. London: Routledge

Nyabuga G & Ugangu, W. 2018. Romancing the Media: A Critical Interrogation of Political Communication in Presidential Elections in Kenya, edited by Mutsvairo, B & Karam, B. Switzerland, Palgrave   Macmillan

Chibita, M & Ugangu, W. 2017. Social Media Policy in Africa, in Media Studies Vol. 4: Social (New) Media and Mediated Communication. Cape Town: JUTA

Kenya’s difficult political transitions, ethnicity and role of media in Political influence and the media in developing countries, 2016. ed. Mukhongo, L. L & Macharia, W. J, USA: IGI Global

Ugangu, W. 2015. Political Influence and Shifts in Kenya’s Media Policy, in Exploring Kenya’s Media Policy 1963-2013, Nairobi, Media Policy Research Centre

Ugangu, W. 2006. The Development and political mobilization role of the Kenyan indigenous language press, in Indigenous Language media in Africa, ed by Abioudun Salawu, Lagos; CBAAC

Ugangu, W. 2011. Media, public interest and policy (2011) in The Media in Kenya: Evolution, Effects and Challenges, ed. By Nyabuga George and Wambui Kiai Nairobi: UON press

Recent Publications:

  • Ugangu, W. 2021. In the Realm of Uncertainty: Kenya’s Ghetto Radio as Politicized Space, In Decolonizing Political Communication in Africa: Reframing Ontologies, edited by Mutsvairo, B & Karam, B. Routledge
  • Ugangu, W. 2019. Journalism Training in a changing African Society: the case of Kenya, in Journalism and Journalism Education in Developing Countries, edited by Beatrice Dernbach & Beate Illg, Manipal, India: Maniapal Universal Press
  • Ugangu, W. 2020. Election Reporting and Githerinization of Kenya’s Media, in Journal of African Media Studies, Vol. 12 (3) pp. 255-266
  • Ugangu, W. 2018. More Leverage for the State? Kenya’s Experience with Digital TV Migration, in Freiheit und Journalismus, edited by Czepek, Hellwig, Illg & Nowak, Baden-baden, Nomos

Published Book Reviews:

  • Ugangu, W. 2012. The Media in Kenya: Evolution, Effects and Challenges. Ed. By George Nyabuga and Wambui Kiai. Nairobi: Ford Foundation and University of Nairobi, in African Journal of Communication, Vol.1 (1) pp. 189- 19

Publications and Co- authorships:

  • Mbeke, P. O, Ugangu, W & Okello- Olarle, R. 2010. The Media We Want: The Kenya Media Vulnerabilities Study, Nairobi, FES
  • Okello- Olarle, R & Ugangu, W. 2010. Beyond Numbers: Narrating the Impact of Women’s leadership in Eastern Africa, Nairobi. AWC7
  • Wambui, K, Kiiru, S, Njeri M & Ugangu W. 2009. Media Excellence: Issues of practice and training in East Africa- A conflict management training manual for African journalists (2004)- co-authored with Absalom Mutere
  • Ugangu, W. 2006. HIV/AIDS training manual for East & Southern Africa Journalists, Nairobi, UNESCO
  • Mutere, A & Ugangu, W. 2003. A conflict Management Journalism Training Manual. ACCE. Nairobi

Papers Written and Presented:

  • More leverage for the State? Kenya’s Experience with Digital TV Migration
  • Linking normative media theory to media policy: A case of Kenya
  • Enhancing learning and dialogue in communities to communicate climate related risks in Eastern Kenya: Use of local Kamba language radio
  • Post modernity and the Kenyan media culture: Implications for media policy
  • Reporting Elections: Case of the 2013 Kenya General Election

Conference Presentations

  • Linking normative media theory to media policy: A case of Kenya- presented at the IAMCR 2012 Durban, South Africa
  • Post modernity and the Kenyan media culture: Implications for media policy- East Africa Communication Association (EACA) 2012. St. Augustine University, Mwanza
  • The influence of SMS and community media in Kenya’s political culture- (Unpublished) Paper was presented at a Global communications and human rights conference in Minneapolis, United States of America- June 2008
  • State of media development in Kenya- Public lecture at the Institute of Applied Media Studies, Zurich University of Applied Sciences – April 2012

Professional Societies and Fellowships

  • Founding committee member & current President of the East African Communication Association (EACA)
  • Member of the Editors Guild of Kenya, (KEG)
  • Esther Karpatkin Media Fellow- Consumers Union – Washington DC, 2007 (fellowship focused on communication policy issues in the United States of America. The scope covered freedom of expression in a networked, globalizing social context, media diversity, migration to digital broadcasting among others)

Referees

Available upon request

 

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