Bizna Kenya chief executive officer Tonnie Mello has been named among the top 25 men in digital in Kenya in 2021. Mello was recognized in the 2021 Digital Edition of the Social Media Awards (SOMA). The awards recognized men and women in Kenya who made a mark through their contributions on social media and digital platforms.

In the 2021 ranking, Mello was recognized for leading the Bizna Kenya digital media platform which primarily focuses on the improvement of micro, small and medium enterprises.

In the awards, other prominent social media players who were recognized included Lawrence Macharia, popularly known as Terence Creative. Macharia was among the best acts of the year with his Papa Freddy play which depicted the illegal money laundering business in Kenya. Some of those who were also recognized included Instagram blogger Edgar Obare, Safaricom’s chief consumer business officer Charles Wanjohi, Dentsu chief executive officer Christopher Madison, ICT Authority Acting chief executive officer Kipronoh Ronoh Paul, digital media strategist Dennis Itumbi, Minicheps’ Catherine Jepkemoi, Jumia Kenya chief executive officer Betty Mwangi, Ogilvy Africa’s Rehema Chege, Google Kenya head of marketing Shikha Monga, and Tuko Media managing editor Julia Majale.

The awards also recognized blogger Robert Alai, and former Tuko Show host Lynn Ngugi. Ms. Ngugi was recently named among the top 100 women in Africa for 2021 by the British Broadcasting Corporation.

Tonnie Mello: You don’t have to quit your job and start business to get rich

Beyond the awards, SOMA also hosts the Men in Digital platform, where men tap into the digital opportunities through regular events that bring together men as entrepreneurs, inventors and business leaders to engage in discussions on new ways of taking digital to the next level. It also hosts the Women in Digital platform where women get leads to new career opportunities, business and connections within the digital ecosystem. It consists of WiD Connect, WiD Network and WiD Award.