Former KBC radio host Bonnie Musambi discussed his difficulties trying to pursue a career in journalism, admitting that he cleaned lavatories to pay for school.
On January 25, the journalist recalled leaving his rural home in Kitui county after his family resisted his plan to pursue a career in journalism during a YouTube interview with Radio Maisha host Billy Miya.
The 2022 Kitui Central parliamentary candidate claimed that he raised Ksh10,000 for his expenses by cleaning restrooms at a hotel in Embu.
However, he made it clear that not all was happy by admitting that he had tried suicide.
“I returned home and told my father that I had raised Ksh10,000. I had already applied for a chance at Mombasa polytechnic and I was accepted.
“My father put the condition that I needed to appear on TV one day. Sadly, he passed away three weeks after I joined the school,” he stated
Musambi noted that he began working for KBC in 2008 as an artist before being offered a permanent position in the radio division of the station. Years later, he also got a TV part that paid him Ksh360,000 per week.
“Apart from hosting the Zinga show, I was tasked by BBC on a contract basis to do the Sema Kenya show. I used to be paid Ksh90,000 per show and there were four shows a week,” the journalist added.
He described how he faced a lot of obstacles at the national broadcaster despite his stratospheric rise at the station, including attempts to be sabotaged by others.
“Due to the hatred, I was afraid to go to the morning program because I believed that I would be pursued. I primarily lived in the Kileleshwa area, but there were times when I would travel to Globe via James Gichuru Road, Westlands, and Parklands. I offer God all the glory “He remarked
Musambi responded to detractors by stating that he developed friends with his managers and that they frequently informed him when someone tried to sabotage him.
After 14 years, Musambi left KBC in January 2022 to run for the Kitui Central parliamentary seat.
He acknowledged that local leaders, particularly UDA chairman Johnson Muthama and his late brother, had an impact on his choice to enter politics.
He made it clear that he wished to realize his brother’s political aspirations.
He stated that he was still interested in serving the country in the national administration even if he came in last in the 2022 elections, maybe hinting at a future appointment by President William Ruto.
The journalist currently manages Sang’u FM, which he and his wife Betty Musambi created, for Ksh15 million.
