Saracen Marketing Group has officially announced the appointment of Clifford Kinyua as its new Group Chief Executive Officer. Effective since October 2025, the move marks a pivotal moment in the company’s 23-year history as it transitions from a founder-led model to an institutional structure.
Clifford Kinyua returns to Saracen with over a decade of high-level experience in strategy, media, and enterprise leadership. His resume includes senior roles at WPP, Jubilee Insurance, and Omnicom-affiliated agencies. Most recently, Kinyua served as the Group Chief Transformation and Sustainability Officer at Betika, where he was instrumental in scaling operations and embedding operational discipline across African markets.
Kinyua succeeds co-founder Lenny Nganga, who has steered the ship since the company’s inception in 2002. In a move designed to ensure continuity and strategic oversight, Nganga will transition to the role of Group Chairperson.
“This is a transition from founder-led to founder-backed growth,” noted Lenny Nganga. “Clifford brings the strategic clarity and regional experience needed to lead the Group into its next phase, while the founders continue to safeguard Saracen’s values at the Board level.”
The Group is currently working with advisers to evaluate strategic options, including accessing institutional capital to accelerate its footprint in markets including:
- East Africa: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, and South Sudan.
- Horn of Africa & Southern Africa: Ethiopia and Malawi.
In his first comments as Group CEO, Kinyua emphasized a systematic approach to the future. “The next chapter is about building calmer, more predictable growth systems across markets,” he stated. He aims to leverage the Group’s long-standing partnership with the Omnicom Media Group to deliver measurable, data-driven impact for both local and international brands.