Over the years, Citizen TV has been known to attract some of the best journalistic talent in Kenya.
However, the station has also witnessed a number of high-profile departures, as some journalists move on to pursue new opportunities or personal projects.
In this report, we take a look at 10 popular journalists who left Citizen TV, including news anchors, reporters and talk show hosts, and explore the reasons behind their departure.
From Julie Gichuru to Hussein Mohammed, find out what these former Citizen TV stars have been up to since leaving the station and where they are now making their mark in the Kenyan media industry.
Here are 10 popular journalists who left Citizen TV, one of the leading television stations in Kenya, in recent years:
- Julie Gichuru: She is a veteran journalist who left Citizen TV in 2016 to focus on her personal projects, including her clothing line and youth empowerment initiatives.
- Terryanne Chebet: She is a former news anchor and business journalist who left Citizen TV in 2016 after being retrenched. She later started her media company, Scarlet Digital.
- Janet Mbugua: She was a popular news anchor who left Citizen TV in 2017 to focus on her family and her foundation, Inua Dada Foundation, which supports girl child education.
- Johnson Mwakazi: He is a former news anchor who left Citizen TV in 2013 to join KTN, another leading television station in Kenya.
- Kirigo Ng’arua: She is a former news anchor and lifestyle show host who left Citizen TV in 2016 after being retrenched. She later started her production company, Ng’arua Media.
- Hussein Mohammed: He was a popular news anchor and talk show host who left Citizen TV in 2018 to join the Qatari-owned Al Jazeera Media Network.
- Swaleh Mdoe: He is a veteran journalist who left Citizen TV in 2018 after 13 years of service. He later joined the Sauti Sol Entertainment Company as a brand ambassador.
- Ann Ngugi: She is a former news anchor who left Citizen TV in 2018 to join K24 TV, another television station in Kenya.
- Johnson Sakaja: He is a former political news reporter who left Citizen TV in 2013 to join politics. He is currently a senator representing Nairobi County in the Kenyan parliament.
- Michael Gitonga: He is a former business news reporter who left Citizen TV in 2018 to join the Royal Media Services-owned radio station, Hot96 FM.
These are just a few of the popular journalists who have left Citizen TV in recent years, highlighting the competitive nature of the media industry in Kenya and the need for media houses to retain top talent.