GUMZO MTAANI_ JOHN MWAKITAWA

#GUMZO MTAANI_DAUDI KANJA YOUTUBE CHANNEL

PICTURE KENYA IN THE LATE-1950S, WHEN THE VENERABLE AFRICAN BROADCASTING SERVICE (ABC) WAS BREATHING ITS LAST. IN THOSE FADING DAYS OF EMPIRE, A HANDFUL OF BRIGHT KENYAN VOICES WERE HAND-PICKED TO KEEP THE AIRWAVES ALIVE—AMONG THEM THE YOUNG AND FEARLESS JOHN MWAKITAWA.

THEN CAME 1959, A WATERSHED YEAR. AS ABC GAVE WAY TO THE BRAND-NEW KENYA BROADCASTING SERVICE (KBS), MWAKITAWA JOINED A DISTINGUISHED COHORT—HASSAN MAZOA, JAMES KANGWANA AND INZOBERI JOHN—BOUND FOR LONDON. THE BBC BECAME THEIR FINISHING SCHOOL, HONING THEIR CRAFT IN THE VERY HEART OF GLOBAL BROADCASTING.

THE MISSION WAS CLEAR: INDEPENDENCE WAS ON THE HORIZON, AND KENYA NEEDED ITS OWN EXPERTS READY TO SEIZE THE MICROPHONE FROM COLONIAL HANDS.

TELEVISION ARRIVED IN KENYA IN 1962, AND WHEN MWAKITAWA RETURNED HOME HE STEPPED STRAIGHT INTO THE GLARE OF THE STUDIO LIGHTS. POSTED TO THE FLEDGLING TELEVISION DEPARTMENT AS A PRODUCER, HE STEERED THE UNIT WITH QUIET AUTHORITY—AND KEPT IT ON COURSE UNTIL THE DAY HE SIGNED OFF FOR RETIREMENT.

FROM THE TWILIGHT OF ABC TO THE DAWN OF KENYAN TELEVISION, JOHN MWAKITAWA’S CAREER TRACED THE NATION’S OWN JOURNEY TOWARD SELF-EXPRESSION.

DON’T FORGET TO
SUBSCRIBE, LIKE, COMMENT, AND SHARE.

#GUMZOMTAANI #DAUDIKANJAYOUTUBECHANNEL #KENYABROADCASTLEGEND #RADIOROYALTY #LIVEBROADCASTING #KENYASTORIES #INSPIRATIONAFRIC