Kenya’s veteran Swahili news anchor Anne Ngugi has opened up about her experience at giant media house BBC.
The former K24 news anchor was one of many local journalists poached by BBC in the just concluded media shake-up.
For the mother of four, the job represents a major comeback in the media industry after a difficult period. Anne Ngugi was sacked from K24 while she was 5 months pregnant with twins about four years ago. And months later, she was accused alongside her husband of conning a Nigerian man in a gold scam.
The former KTN news anchor has, however, moved on and is relishing her new opportunity at BBC.
She spoke about her experience, revealing that BBC helps local journalists in a number of ways.
“It is humbling to be at BBC. It is a humongous place, so the audience is not limited,” she said.
“Your target audience is quite big and as a journalist, you tend to think bigger, not just locally. Your level of integration and networking becomes different. You appreciate other people’s way of life and make new friends,” she explained.
She added: “A newsroom will always be the same. What changes is the magnitude of people doing the work.”
Anne went on: “Now I’m on radio but still doing special features for TV. I tend to look at life as a journey and wherever life puts me, I receive it with everything that I have.”
“Of course there is a difference but I am totally okay with that. Plus I make friends with everyone and in every place I go, even in supermarkets. So I am so fine.”
