John Njogu Njoroge, is a renown vernacular radio presenter who hailed from a very humble beginning to become a top Kikuyu presenter who is celebrating 15 years in broadcasting.
Njogu, who comes from Karima Mutiume village, Njoro sub-county in Nakuru remembers his ambitions to become a journalist (football commentator to be precise) as early as class three.
He told K24 TV that he was a village commentator where he did it from treetops which he says motivated and boosted his confidence.
“When I did my O levels I waited for ten (10) good years to join Kenya Institute of Mass Communication but I never passed in interviews all those years. In the year 2001 I came to Nairobi at KBC to fill in a position created after Bernard Otieno had moved to Citizen from KBC though I was never invited for interviews,” Njogu recalls.
Njogu started his journalism journey in 2001 at KBC as a soccer commentator before moving to Kameme Fm in 2002.
He remembers very well when he left home to Nairobi to fill in the position and by coincidence found a poster at KBC offices inviting people for interviews though the guards could not let him in.
Njogu says he owes more thanks to Bahati Member of Parliament who asked the then Chief Producer at KBC Karanja Kimwere that Njogu be allowed in for interviews.
“Mheshimiwa Kimani Ngunjiri was a KANU member and I had interacted with him for quite some time especially in the soccer matches I used to commentate. I approached him and told him I was denied access to KBC and he took the initiative of calling Mr Kimwere to allow me in. Out of the 200 interviewees they picked four and I was one of them,” says Njogu.
He used to work at KBC Tv when Churchill King’ang’I, who worked for the radio asked him to join the newly started Kameme Fm which he applied.
“I also thank the founder of Kameme FM madam Rose Kimotho who received me well in 2002 and asked me to do a demo. I impressed her and he employed me to be a football commentator but later I hosted politicians since it was an election year. In 2003, I was asked to host the morning show Arahuka which I do to date,” adds Njogu.
He says that he opted to be different where he takes the show close to his listeners to hear their insights and invite leaders to alddress their plight. He says he has supported many people through his show many of which had medical bill which has seen most of them getting treatment even from abroad.
He says his best moments is when he hosted the President and his deputy when they were aspirants in the 2013 general elections which was live at Kameme Fm, K24 Tv, Meru Fm and Milele Fm which belong to Mediamax Network Limited.
He has said he will contest for the Njoro Parliamentary seat in next year’s general elections though he says he is still consulting his friends and residents of Njoro.
He tells the youths to be of great resilience, determination and hard work.