One thing that is constant in life is change and going by the paradigm shift in the media industry, journalists keep moving from one media house to another in the quest of scaling their careers.
As we all know, the journalism field is very dynamic, with media houses scouting for professionals to fill the vacant slots and always edge out their competitors.
In the case of Royal Media House’s flagship channel, Citizen TV, a section of notable journalists began their craft at Mediamax’s K24 either as reporters, anchors, or interns.
Kenyans.co.ke takes a look at some of the notable Citizen TV stars who started their trade along Kijabe street in Nairobi.
Jeff Koinange
Renowned news anchor Jeff Koinange joined K24 in 2007 where he hosted The Bench show before exiting in December 2012.
According to former Mediamax Owner, Rose Kimotho, she had to convince Koinange’s wife, Shaila, for him to accept the job offer. At the time, the journalists worked in South Africa.
“I remember begging Jeff, he made me beg him. He was in South Africa, and he told me he was not sure about taking up the job and asked me to speak to his wife.
“I phoned the wife the next day. She asked what I was starting, and told her it was a station called K24, and that we will be doing news. She stated she was not too sure and asked how much he would be paid,” Kimotho recalled during a surprise party organised by broadcasters to honour her contribution to the Kenyan media industry in November 2020.
Ayub Abdikadir
The former K24 news anchor gained countrywide fame in 2022 after he pinned down Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) CEO Hussein Marjan over the vetting and awarding of a mega tender to a Dutch firm, Smartmatic elections company.
The journalist was also credited for exposing the Dutch company’s failure to properly manage polls in Uganda, the Phillippines, and the US.
During the interview, the journalist stood amongst his peers for catching the IEBC CEO flatfooted before the August 9 General Election.
Days later, the journalist was poached by Citizen TV as additional coverage during the election period.
Willis Raburu
A name that needs no introduction, Raburu has amassed over a decade’s experience in the media industry. Unknown to many, the journalist began his craft as an Intern at K24.
After completing his undergraduate studies at Moi University, Raburu was hired by Citizen TV. A reporter, news anchor, and TV presenter in matters of sports and entertainment, the journalist is versatile in all fields.
Aside from news, Raburu is an artiste and hosts the Ten Over Ten show every Friday at 10 pm.
Chemutai Goin & Hassan Mugambi
Both viewed as forces in the reporting sector, Chemutai Goin and Hassan Mugambi worked as political/current affairs reporters on K24 TV.
The bilingual reporters are skilled in live reporting, writing and producing Feature stories, editing, and public speaking among others.
Owing to their diverse nature, the duo was poached by Citizen TV in a bid to tap into the massive talent possessed by the reporters.
Currently, Goin and Mugambi have done features, both in English and Swahili, and traversed 47 counties covering the pre and post-electioneering period.
Source: kENYANS.CO.KE