Citizen TV news anchor and reporter Hassan Mugambi is one of the most celebrated journalists in Kenya due to his exceptional reporting talent and onscreen presence.
Mugambi was born and raised in Kibera slums in Nairobi. After completing his primary and secondary education, he joined the East African School of Journalism and later the University of Nairobi, where he graduated with a degree in journalism.
“I was born and brought up in Kibra. At some point in my life, I went to Meru for boarding school in Class Five to Form Four.
“I later joined the East Africa School of Journalism and afterward went to the University of Nairobi, still studying journalism,” Mugambi narrated.
He landed his first job at Pamoja FM, a community-based radio station based in Kibra. He used the platform to perfect his journalism skills as well as the Swahili language.
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While at Pamoja, CGTN, which at the time was called CCTV, raided leading media stations and poached top journalists, leaving them scouting for replacements.
After learning about some open positions at K24, Mugambi presented his application alongside a demo of him presenting news. He later received a call from K24, inviting him for a screen test.
“I remember standing up and seeing the number beginning with 020…wondering who was calling me. Then the voice on the other side said, ‘Hi, I’m Richard Kagoye from K24.’
“That was like the best phone call I had received in a long time. He told me that I was required to go for a screen test on Sunday and added that I needed to be in a suit,” Mugambi narrated.
He would later call his friend who worked at IQRA FM to borrow a suit as he did not own one. Mugambi won the test and worked under probation for three months before he received a letter informing him of his employment as a news anchor at K24.
He executed his roles perfectly and landed a role at Citizen TV in 2017. Mugambi works at the Royal Media Services-backed TV station as a crime reporter and a Swahili news anchor.