Page 21 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 8

FAITH STORIES

now I am CEO of the Kenya Film ated at Kenyatta National Hospital,
I was getting international Classification Board. So my journey but she was thrown out of the hospi-
tal with her lungs gaping because she
toward becoming a journalist was
connections and the govern- actually answering my childhood could not pay. I took a photographer
ment was monitoring me and ambition of becoming a lawyer to and I went to Mwiki, Kasarani and I
I realized this thing they’re defend people. I realize, even now came back to the newsroom quite
calling the Deep State, I re- as a CEO, that is exactly what I do. late, but the way I spoke to the news
alized it’s actually real and Of course, I have ended up pursuing editor, it was given prominence. At
it can really damage you. elements of the law throughout my that time, we didn’t have mobile
Master’s and PhD. I find myself, all phones, and so I wrote the story,
the time, placed in positions where went home late and so the following
and told me to go to Nation Centre. people’s lives are to a large extent day I was not coming early. When I
I went and presented that note there. dependent on decisions that I make got to Nation Centre around 10, they
The rest is history. I ended up with and I always pray that I will do what were looking for me. The Minister
a permanent and pensionable job at Esther did, at the most critical time for Health had come, they wanted
the biggest media house in East and in the lives of people, be the answer me to go and show them where that
Central Afrika. to their prayers. woman was, we went and picked
her with a convoy, took her back to
So I plunged into journalism, start- IN YOUR LIFE, YOU HAVE Kenyatta Hospital and she stayed
ing as a trainee reporter, I rose all ENDURED FALSE ACCUSA- there, she was treated and when she
the way to becoming a sub-editor. TIONS AND EVEN THREATS was being discharged, I was called.
Journalism and law are like two AGAINST YOUR LIFE FOR Mwiki was very inconveniencing to
sides of the same coin. You are EXPOSING CORRUPTION access – but when I realized there
there to push the cause of justice, AND FIGHTING INJUSTICE. was a woman like that who had been
to give voice to the voiceless, to de- SO, MUCH LIKE THE CHAR- thrown out of the hospital and she
fend them through your words and ACTERS IN THE BIBLE WHO was suffering and dying in the slums,
your articles. I ended up becoming YOU LEARNT FROM, YOU TO I went there. This connects again,
Secretary-General of Kenya Union HAVE ALSO HAD TO LEARN like I told you, to the childhood vi-
of Journalists on 21st of June 2001, TO WALK THE PATH OF sions and dreams you have of what
having been overwhelmingly elected PERSECUTION. MAYBE YOU you want to become. How I got to
by journalists. I remember, in my CAN TELL US A LITTLE BIT KUJ, is that I started agitating for
inaugural speech, I gave a rebuttal ABOUT THAT. journalists’ rights with management.
to something that the President had Yes, that’s very true and it’s not just The rest of my colleagues said, “Oh
said on Madaraka Day and he called in my working life. Like I told you, I this new guy is very courageous.” So
me to go and meet him. I thought I came from a very challenging back- I ended up being elected Chapel Fa-
was going to die. At that time things ground as a child and I started fight- ther, and then Chairman and then
were bad, people feared the Presi- ing injustice right there. There’s a Secretary-General.
dent. Only to go there and find he time when I was very young, I stood
really liked me. Intelligence had giv- up to my dad and told him, “You When the Kibaki government came
en him my report and he spoke very are not going to touch my mom. into power, to remove Moi, who had
well. My meeting with the President Enough is enough if you don’t want been in power for 24 years and who
was covered widely in all TV stations to live with her, go or, tell us to go.” was being accused of all manner of
and suddenly I rose to fame. And that shocked him. Yet he was things; corruption and so on and so
bigger and he was very violent and forth, they came on the platform of
Later, I ended up leaving Nation he calmly stopped and engaged me. fighting corruption. Within a very
Media Group and concentrating Now they live happily together. short time, the former British High
on my work as Secretary-General When I got into journalism, I want- Commissioner, Sir Edward Clay,
of KUJ and eventually, I became ed to use my pen and language and who identified me on TV as a very
Director of Information and Public notebook to fight for justice, and I vocal person, looked for me and he
Communications, and finally, I was did a lot. I remember one time, on told me there was a lot of corruption
promoted to Information Secretary, a Sunday evening, I was called by in the government and he wanted
which is the highest cadre of infor- some church members who told me me to use my platform and KUJ and
mation officers in government and there’s a lady who had been oper- journalists to expose it. I thought I

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