By Bizna Brand Anlayst
Once upon a time,Jeff Koinange Live was a spectacular show full of respectable guests and mind-nourishing discussions. Unfortunately, that is not the case anymore.In the past few months, we have seen the show self-destructing and turning from a gem to a mere stone.
On Tuesday night, we witnessed this fast hand. Jeff presided over the second Nairobi Governorship debate and only two candidates showed up: Esther Passaris and Miguna Miguna. The first time he held the debate, only four candidates showed up. This is despite the fact the fact that there is a beehive of people fighting to be at the helm of Nairobi.
Jeff is one of the most sought-after journalists and people should come running whenever he calls. So why are they avoiding the show? Are they not interested? I don’t think so. I think it’s because Jeff has sacred cows in his show and a lot of people don’t like that. Miguna Miguna happens to be one of Jeff’s most favorite people. In fact, the only time he appears on TV is when he is on Jeff Koinange Live. He is never even on the news. The show has now become like his home and in it he thrives and plays dirty. He even undermines the host. I bet other candidates simply didn’t want to go there knowing one person will be given preferential treatment. Makes a lot of sense.
There are a couple of other people that Jeff keeps bringing on the show everytime and it has become tiring to watch. A few weeks ago, we all saw what happened with Boniface Mwangi and Moses Kuria. The incident left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth. How do you call someone for an interview then bring one of his foes without his knowledge?
I used to feel that Jeff Koinange was one of the few TV hosts in Africa capable of reaching the  heights of Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers and the likes but lately he’s letting himself down. I used to be fan but nowadays I am just disappointed. Bring back the Jeff of K24 please.
On Tuesday, the show was a mix of the terrible and the tedious, with Jeff exhibiting an ineptitude for nearly every aspect of the broadcast. He allowed Miguna to insult Passaris and didn’t call him out when he said some untruthful things. And such is always the case.
I feel that if you are one of the few people who are lucky enough to have a personal brand, you should do your best to preserve it at all costs. Jeff isn’t doing that at the moment. His show is going from bad to worse and he seems not to be realizing it.
In all honesty, we need competition. We need someone to give Jeff a run for his money. Someone smart and no-nonsense. Someone who will bring out the best in interviewees and make late night Tv something to always look forward to. Will the next and better version of Jeff Koinange please stand up.
