Maina Kageni
Some of Kenya’s most recognised faces and voices built their careers not in lecture halls but in newsrooms, studios and sheer determination
By Purity Benjamin
A journalism degree is often considered the conventional entry point into the newsroom. In Kenya, however, some of the country’s most influential media personalities took remarkably different routes — arriving through science, law, agriculture, technology and even tourism before finding their footing behind the microphone or in front of the camera. Their careers are a reminder that talent, curiosity and persistence can carry a person further than a certificate ever could.
Maina Kageni is perhaps the most celebrated example of this. The Classic 105 breakfast-show host and long-serving voice behind Maina & King’ang’i in the Morning stumbled into broadcasting almost by accident. After completing high school, Kageni travelled to the United Kingdom with plans to further his education but never enrolled at university. He returned to Kenya, worked in various roles and eventually found his way into radio when a voice-over opportunity at Capital FM in 1999 left staff impressed enough to open a door. He later moved to Kiss 100 before joining Classic 105 in 2004, where he became one of the most listened-to breakfast presenters in the country. He holds no university degree and never studied journalism — yet his influence on Kenyan radio remains unmatched.
Yvonne Okwara built a two-decade media career on a foundation of science. She studied a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology, Zoology, Botany and Chemistry at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. Her media journey began modestly — a children’s programme at KBC and voice-over work — before she moved through Hot 96, QFM and NTV, hosting programmes including This Morning and Money Matters. She later joined KTN News in senior editorial and presenting roles, then moved to Citizen TV in 2018. She moderated Kenya’s presidential debates in 2017 and 2022 and became one of the country’s most recognised news anchors. She later pursued an Executive Master’s in Media Leadership and Innovation at Aga Khan University. Yesterday, Shuga Global named her Head of Investments and Partnerships following her departure from Citizen TV.
Julie Gichuru arrived in media through law and business. She earned an LLB and later an MBA from the University of Wales in Cardiff before moving into television, where she became a prominent news anchor and interviewer known for her work in investigative and current-affairs programming. In 2011 she founded Arimus Media, producing and hosting leadership and dialogue content. She later served as Chief Public Affairs and Communications Officer at the Mastercard Foundation. Today, as President and Chief Executive of the Africa Leadership and Dialogue Institute, she focuses on African storytelling, knowledge-building and leadership development — proof that legal training and strong communication instincts can take a person to the very top of public media.
Kamene Goro studied law at the University of Nairobi despite having set her sights on broadcast media from an early age. While still a student, she secured an audition at Ebru TV and, with mentorship from the station’s newsroom leadership, began building her presenting career. After years in television, she transitioned into radio, becoming a prominent breakfast-show host before moving into management and eventually becoming Chief Executive of NRG Radio. Her media expertise was built entirely through practice — she never held a journalism degree.
Waihiga Mwaura studied Computer Science before entering the media industry through an internship at Nation Media Group’s Business Desk in 2008. He joined Royal Media Services and became a producer and presenter at Citizen TV, covering sport before transitioning to politics and current affairs. In 2018 he won the BBC World News Komla Dumor Award, and in 2023 he joined BBC News to present Focus on Africa. He later earned a Master’s in Communications and Media Studies, adding formal academic grounding to a career built on experience.
Brian George of NTV studied Tourism Management at Moi University but spent his student years teaching himself video editing, scripting, reporting, animation and digital production — launching a blog and YouTube channel along the way. In 2019 he was selected from more than 2,000 applicants for the Standard Media Academy journalism trainee programme, which accepted just 12 candidates. Six months of intensive training later, he became a radio producer, then a KTN television anchor in December 2020. He joined NTV in 2022 and has since reported internationally and hosted Techover, a programme focused on African startups. He is currently pursuing a Master’s in Digital Journalism at Aga Khan University.
Joe Ageyo, now Editor-in-Chief of Nation Media Group Uganda, began with a Bachelor of Agribusiness Management from Egerton University. His broadcasting career included senior roles at KBC, Standard Group and Royal Media Services, where he served as Senior Reporter, Managing Editor of KTN News and Editorial Director respectively. He has covered four general elections and two national referenda, and has co-moderated three Kenyan presidential debates. Ageyo later earned a Postgraduate Diploma in Mass Communication, an MSc in Environmental Governance from the University of Manchester and a PhD in Communication from Daystar University.
Paul Nabiswa holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Kiswahili from the University of Nairobi and trained later at the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication. His career has spanned Citizen TV, QFM, Easy FM, Nation Media Group, BBC News and KTN, where he served as News Editor and Head of Swahili. He returned to NMG as an NTV editor in 2024. His career is a compelling blend of humanities scholarship and journalism acquired in the field.
Shiksha Arora studied Medical Microbiology and Biotechnology as an undergraduate before completing a Master’s in Broadcast Journalism. Her media career has taken her through Radio Africa’s East FM, MediaMax’s K24, BBC and KBC, where she worked as a news anchor and media personality before departing in 2024.
Others whose journeys have crossed disciplines in similarly fascinating ways include Michael Gitonga, Edith Kimani, Judy Kosgei, Gidi Ogidi, Lolani Kalu, Jalang’o, Alex Chamwada, Allan Nyamu and Eric Latiff. Together, these personalities make a compelling case: in journalism, the best education is often the story itself.
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