Founded on November 7, 1994 by the Nation Media Group at the request of managing editor Wangethi Mwangi, The East African came into being to serve as the first regional weekly newspaper covering the entire East African Great Lakes region. The idea sparked when Mwangi enlisted experienced British journalist Gerry Loughran, who traveled across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and beyond to consult with readers, advertisers, and distributors before launching the publication. Today, The East African continues to operate under the Nation Media Group, Kenya's largest media conglomerate, and is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. The East African is mainly focused on politics, economics, business, science, and in-depth regional analysis covering Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and the broader East African community. One interesting fact that might surprise people is that the name "EastAfrican" was deliberately written as one word to symbolize regional unity, and the word "nation" was intentionally omitted so the paper would feel transnational rather than tied to any single country.