Sanaipei Tande, a well-known singer and former radio host, is well-known in Kenya’s entertainment sector.
She would attend Loreto Convent Mombasa for her basic school education and was known for her enticing voice on the mic.
Before transferring to Mombasa’s Agha Khan High School, she also enrolled at Mama Ngina High School for her high school coursework.
She finished her high school education at St. Lucy Kiriri Girls after moving to Nairobi.
She got accepted to the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) to study pharmacy under the name Sanaa.
She chose to defer and pursue a career in music instead, which was her passion, thus she didn’t finish her course.
Leta Wimbo, a song by the SEMA music group that became popular and helped her launch a promising music career, was the song that made her famous and helped businesses and corporations recognize her.
She admitted during an interview with Gideon Ndambuki of the Churchill Show that her break in the media started when Capital FM featured her in their magazine, Qz.
“Capital FM wants to highlight me in their brand-new Qz magazine. During the interview, the late Chris Kirubi would see me in the studio and approach me, she said.
Later, Kirubi would instruct radio host Eve Ds’ouza to train her for the station’s nighttime program, Hits Not Homework.
“I worked for three months while on probation, but my accent prevented me from being hired. I didn’t have the accent of The Capital, she said.
However, Sanaipei said that a call from Shaffie Weru, a staff member at Kiss 100, helped her radio career get back on track.
Later, Shafie Weru called to ask if I still wanted to work in radio. I told him I was interested, and he asked me to work with him on the Radio Africa program Keeping it Kenyan,” she said.
She would meet Caroline Mutoko, a presenter at the Kiss 100 morning show, when she arrived at Lions Place along Waiyaki Way, and she would later offer her a job.
I met Caroline Mutoko, who told me she had taken a chance on me and that it had paid off since she had helped me land a job.
In 2007, Sanaipei joined Kiss 100 FM as the host of the mid-morning program. She also hosted the weekend program Keeping It Kenyan, which featured up-and-coming Kenyan musicians and artists.
When she joined Easy FM (now known as Nation FM) in 2013 to co-host the drive show with Edward Kwach, her tenure at Radio Africa came to an end.
She and other radio broadcasters would be laid off in 2015 as a result of shifting media sector dynamics.
She started presenting karaoke in various bars and clubs throughout Nairobi, a move that led to arguments with club owners about the unfavorable working conditions.
In addition to radio and music, Sanaipei has appeared as a lead in a number of regional productions as characters like Kina and Aziza.
