Fridah Mwaka Narrates Rejecting KSh 2.5m Car Offer from Kenyan Politician
- Fridah Mwaka narrated her humble beginnings in Nairobi, including the struggles she faced despite being a news anchor
- The media personality used to rely on matatus, often facing humiliation from colleagues who looked down on her due to not owning a car
- Despite hardships, Mwaka continued to work hard and turned down an offer from a good Samaritan to buy her a car
NTV news anchor Fridah Mwaka has opened up about her early days in Nairobi.
Source: Instagram
She recalled her struggles and experiences as a new arrival in the busy city.
Fridah Mwaka's humble beginnings at KTN
When she first moved to Nairobi, Mwaka was working as a news anchor at Kenya Television Network (KTN).
However, despite being on television, she faced many challenges in her personal life, including not having a car, which made commuting a difficult and often humiliating experience.
In an emotional video, Mwaka shared how she would rely on the matatus (public minibus) to get to work.
She described the humbling daily routine of alighting at Bobmill Complex on Mombasa Road and then crossing to Standard Media Group's office.
However, despite her growing profile on TV, some of her colleagues seemed to look down on her because of her lack of a car.
“There are news presenters who never greeted me because I didn’t have a car. Imagine you are a news presenter. People watch you at 7 pm and you are dazzling. I would meet my colleagues driving out of the office as I walked in. There is one I greeted, but they never responded. The person later told me that they felt I was not in their class," she recalled.
Source: Instagram
Day lorry splashed mud on Fridah Mwaka
The most memorable and painful incident she recounted was an embarrassing moment when she had to fill in for a colleague, Ali Manzu, and read the 4 pm news bulletin.
On her way to the office, a rainfall caught her by surprise. While waiting for traffic to pass so she could cross the road, a passing lorry splashed mud on her.
She recalled:
“I was in a green dress. A certain honourable member passed and saw me and asked if I was the one he had seen at Bobmill. Then I said yes. At that moment, I was crying. I'm supposed to be in the studio, and I didn’t have an extra dress to change. The news time was almost.”
Mwaka revealed she turned to prayer, asking God to help her avoid further embarrassment.
“I cried and asked God to save me from such embarrassment,” she said.
Does Fridah Mwaka regret rejecting car offer?
Another turning point in Mwaka's story was when a Member of Parliament (MP) offered to buy her a car worth up to KSh 2.5 million.
The MP, who was a friend of the journalist, took her to a showroom on Ngong Road and invited her to pick any car she desired within the budget. However, Mwaka turned down the generous offer.
"I don’t know if that was stupidity, but I rejected it. I was scared and newly arrived in Nairobi," she shared.
What happened to Fridah Mwaka during protests?
On Thursday, June 12, Kenyans took to the streets to demand justice following the murder of Albert Ojwang, who was allegedly targeted for a tweet he made online.
The youth called for the resignation or dismissal of Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat, citing his connection to the case.
Mwaka was prepared to report on the events as they unfolded.
A video shared on Instagram by Mwaka captured the moment when a teargas canister struck their car's windscreen, causing damage.
Proofreading by Jackson Otukho, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
