Kikuyu radio presenters: When it comes to vernacular FMs in Kenya, Kikuyu radio stations undoubtedly take the lead. Their success is not only pegged in their large fan base but also in their able and exciting presenters who endear themselves and their radio stations to their fans.
Indeed these presenters have become household names in many a Kikuyu home and many listeners just fall shy of naming kids and cows after them just like our Luo brothers are fond of.
Mention Gatonye wa Mbugua Man, Kihenjo, Machangi, Man Nyari, Nyoks, KK and PM2 to any kikuyu listener and you will immediately get a response of the show their host and what radio station they work in.
But sadly to the radio lovers but music to those constituents they now represent, a number of high profile kikuyu radio presenters chose to leave the airwaves and venture into politics leaving their fans high and dry, longing for their sweet, melodious, cocky and raspy voices.
To radio lovers of the kikuyu nation, Sabina chege’s melodious voice was juice to their eyes and Karungo Wa Thangwa’s raspy voice endear him and Kameme FM to many. For those who loved Gathoni Wa Muchomba, her grasp of things and commanding voice made their heart feel tender and Waithera Muithirania’s hearty laugh could make a stony heart melt.
Below are top kikuyu presenters who left were two early to venture into politics
Gathoni WA Muchomba
When she presented the Inooro FM Breakfast show, alongside the political commentary Kiririmbi Kia Inooro between 2003 and 2006, Wa Muchomba would be crowned the ‘queen of Radio politics in Kenya’
Unfortunately, she would leave Radio to venture into many flopped media enterprises but credit to the brains and beauty of the salacious woman from Kiambu, she would see the Wisdom of returning to Radio in form of ‘muiguithania Radio show’ at Kameme Fm.
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Once again, Wa Muchomba would use her immense talent to endear herself to kikuyu radio lovers and at one time, her show—which reconnected family members, friends and partners who turned into foes—would be rated as the best among all radio shows in Kenya.
Tears would flow freely from your eyes when you listen to heart-wrenching stories that Wa Muchomba and her guests told; Her forgotten Radio prowess came to fore again.
But she would disappoint her radio fans again when she chose to vie for Kiambu woman rep seat and thus leave radio. She won the seat with almost 1 million votes—more than the president got in the county, pointing to her popularity.
Karungo Wa Thangwa
The multi-talented slender man from Ngewa ward in Githunguri constituency Kiambu is the proverbial Jerk of all trades but he seems to be a master in two; Radio hosting and politics. Karungo started out as presenter at Kameme FM in the year 2001 at the tender age of 20 years where he would make fans love him with his raspy voice and a seemingly intelligent mind. He would turn into a news presenter a year later but Mr Thang’wa, it seems, is a man who tires quickly as he went to China the same, just as his popularity was soaring high.
In China he was a lecturer, but that also didn’t satisfy him, and in 2007 he came back to Kenya where he took up news casting at Kameme FM once again. While at Kameme Fm, the 40 years old father of 3 would look for jobs in foreign stations and A Beijing radio station offered him a DJ post.
He went to china to mix and DJ for the Chinese populace—what kind of songs do Chinese sing?—and while there, Mr Thang’wa grew up dreadlocks. The dreadlocks will haunt him when he come back to Kenya as a Popular TV station told him to shave of the rocks and get the job but The Deejaying-Radio Presenter chose the rocks instead.
As such, he missed the job and went into a business that flopped miserably leaving him low and broke, But Gukena FM came to his rescue and offered him a job.
But if his jobs and ventures failed him, people from Ngewa ward never stopped loving him, as it was evident when he vied for the MCA position in these ward. The overwhelmingly elected him.
In 2017 he failed to unseat Kimani wa Matangi, but garnered an impressive 170,000 votes against 201,000 votes that Kimani got, an impressive record country
He currently serves in governor Waititu’s cabinet.
Sabina Chege
Away from her controversial and perhaps juicy marriage and sex life, Ms Sabina Chege is undoubtedly a darling to Kikuyu radio listeners and residents of Muranga County. Whether she a concubine or a second wife is none of our business but what is certain is the voluptuous and luscious mother of three who is 38 has used her beauty and brains well to commandeer a cult-like following within the large fan base of kikuyu radios.
Prior to joining Coro FM, Ms Chege wowed many Tausi fans as an actor and when she went into Radio she took a short time to dislodge other morning kikuyu radio show presenters from the driving seat.
In 2013, she easily won the Muranga woman rep seat and instantly earned the moniker “mama wa county” which villagers fondly use to call her. In 2017, she was up against another Kikuyu Radio presenter, Waithera wa Muithiirania, but people of Muranga county decided to stick with mama wa county
Waithera wa Muithiirania
She was one of the finest Kikuyu Radio presenters. Like wine, she has aged graceful and still looks like the young lady who started out at Coro Fm before moving to Inooro.
She was unfortunately trounced by Sabina Chege during the 2017 elections, But the beautiful woman from the original land of gikuyu and Mumbi will have another day to fight.