Kenya Television Network - Media Revolution

Media Revolution

When the Kenya Television Network (KTN) opened in 1990, it caused a major shift in the role of electronic media in Africa. The station caused a stir when it broadcast news bulletins that did not start with reports about a Head of State as was common throughout Africa at that time. KTN became so popular that there was a massive spike in television sales in Kenya. KTN was watched closely by other governments in Africa to see how it would impact the public and the politics. The government of Uganda sent analysts to observe KTN activities and used it as a model for media liberalisation in Uganda. Some of the reporters at KTN were invited to help start and manage new private radio and TV stations in Kenya and in other African states.

The KTN came at a very opportune moment as it was in the middle of the multiparty democracy movement in Africa, and it became the first TV station to give voices to the subversives, dissidents and opposition politicians. KTN covered the most controversial events that included the volatile political chaos of the transition period from dictatorial single-party state systems to multiparty democracy in the early 1990s. KTN reporters endured being tear gassed alongside the opposition luminaries in Africa's transition to democracy. KTN was also the first station to send reporters into Somalia after the fall of the Siad Barre regime. The station actively sought to cover stories in the rest of Africa, an attitude that was uncommon for TV stations in Africa at the time.

KTN continues to be the breeding ground to some of the country's best TV anchors introducing on-air talents such as Anne Kiguta, one of the country's leading female Anchors and James karani, one of the country's leading Business news personalities. Other trail blazers who call KTN their birth place but since left include Anchor and award-winning Reporter John-Allan Namu, Mohammed Ali, aninvestigative journalist, Lillian Muli,Esther Arunga and Janet Mbugua.

The TV editors, reporters, producers, and anchors of KTN during the 1990s included Catherine Kasavuli, Jacqueline Thom, Raphael Tuju who had also reported on the first multiparty elections in Zambia, Fayaz Qureishi Lydia M. Manyasi, and Charles Wachira who covered the refugee crises in the region. There were also Christine Nguku, Mercy Oburu, CNN Anchor Zain Verjee, Robert Ochieng, Patricia Gashengu, Annette Kanana-Bazira, who produced an interfaith show on Sundays, Ruth Mutia, Njoroge Mwaura, Isaiah Kabira, Jeff Koinange, as well as the editors Sammy Masara, Abel Ndumbu, Mike Roles and Herman Igambi. Several of the reporters then and now, including Mercy Oburu, Christine Nguku and the producer Annette Bazira. honed their skills at Daystar University, a liberal arts university that produced influential alumni in the late 1980s and early 1990s who have had a large impact on media and politics in Africa.

KTN staff in its early years included Joseph Warungu who became the head of BBC's Africa Service. Another KTN alumnus is Dan Kashagama, the founder of the African Unification Front, who originally covered the Somalia desk at KTN. Kathleen Openda, was for a long time during her stint at KTN the most popular broadcast personality in East and Central Africa. Ms. Openda also launched several high-impact programs: The Breakfast Show, Third Opinion and Enterprise Kenya. The first two were live, interactive shows that invited Kenyans to tackle issues of governance and civil society, and to express themselves freely on a wide range of topics while the latter highlighted entrepreneurs in the country and is still on air to date.

Some of KTN's staff were celebrities. Jaqueline Thom was a Miss World contestant and Miss Kenya prior to joining KTN as a political reporter and news anchor. Jeff Koinange is now a lead reporter for K-24 and a former CNN reporter. Ahmed Abdullahi Igge, a Freelance Journalist currently based in the USA is also one of the most popular TV News reporters to have started a career at KTN (1998 to 2002). Ahmed was among the first to help launch KTN Leo, the Swahili news at 7:00pm (Ahmed was the first KTN staff to have been approached by Swaleh Mdoe, then of Nation TV. Swaleh Mdoe went on to play a vital role in the launching of KTN Leo). Ahmed was also given the opportunity to start the International News Roundup by the then Head of News Isaiah Kabira, who now heads the Presidential Press Unit at State House Nairobi. Former news editor Oliver Litondo is also an international film actor. Litondo's filmography includes major parts in Hollywood blockbusters, including The Lion of Africa, Sheena, the Italian movie Orzowei, Il Figlio Della Savana andIvory Hunters. Litondo mentored many reporters during the early 1990s, having studied medicine in the US, before taking media studies at Harvard University. Another KTN pioneer was presenter Jimmy Gathu who hosted music shows every weekday evening namely Rap'Em, Kass Kass, Rastrut, Jam-a-Delic and Rythmix. He also hosted the kids' show Club Kiboko on Saturday mornings. He then went on to work in radio. His music show was taken over by Esther Mbondo and Club Kiboko was hosted by former Miss India Kenya and radio personality, Pinky Ghelani. Gathu was also one of the pioneers of Hip-Hop music in Kenya.