The Kenya Television Network (KTN), owned by the Standard Group (SG), has produced some of the most popular names and brands in Kenya.
Founded in 1990, KTN has undergone significant changes, grown different talents, and produced individuals currently holding prestigious positions.
The expansion saw SG establish three TV stations: KTN News, KTN Farmers, and KTN Burudani as independent channels from the original KTN Home.
The media giant also controls Radio Maisha, Spice FM, and Vybez Radio. However, recent reports indicate that the Standard Group has merged the four TV stations back to KTN Home due to financial constraints.
Jeff Koinange
Award-winning journalist Jeff Koinange worked for KTN as a part-time news anchor in 1995 and as a Reuters correspondent in Nairobi.
Prior to landing the position at Reuters, he worked with Pan AM World airlines immediately after graduating from university.
In 1998, he was appointed Reuters West Africa Bureau Chief. He moved to Ivory Coast and later to Johannesburg.
He joined CNN in 2001 and served for six years in Lagos and Johannesburg, South Africa, as Senior African Correspondent until May 2007.
In November 2007, Jeff Koinange joined K24 TV where he worked until December 2012, hosting the popular show “On the Bench.”
From January 2013 to August 2013, he joined ARISE Television in Johannesburg, South Africa, before returning to Kenya in September 2013 to become the East Africa Bureau Chief.
He rejoined KTN in September 2013, hosting the popular talk show “Jeff Koinange Live” (JKL) on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10 PM.
Koinange also hosted a country music radio show on Nation FM during this period. In November 2016, Koinange announced the end of JKL on KTN after an outburst between lawyer Miguna Miguna and Nairobi County Woman Representative Esther Passaris.
He joined Royal Media Services (RMS), where he currently hosts the controversial talk show JKL and the breakfast show on Hot 96.
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Faridah Karoney
Former Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Lands and Physical Planning Faridah Karoney also worked at the Standard Group-owned station.
Karoney, who served as CS in President Uhuru Kenyatta’s last term in office, was an employee at SG between August 2007 and December 2008.
During this period, she was the Group’s Assistant Director and Head of Editorial at KTN.
She later moved to RMS, serving as Group Editorial Director (2009 to 2014) and Chief Operating Officer (2014 to 2018) before being appointed as CS.
Raphael Tuju Among Founders of KTN
Former Jubilee Party Secretary-General and CS without portfolio Raphael Tuju was among the first news anchors of KTN when the station was launched in 1990.
Tuju, who holds a master’s degree in mass communication from the University of Leicester, the United Kingdom, worked as an anchor, columnist, and producer.
He later established Ace Communications in 2001, which was behind several documentaries, radio, and TV commercials for international agencies, public sector institutions, and private-sector bodies.
Tuju was first elected to parliament in 2002, representing Rarieda constituency until 2007.
Late President Mwai Kibaki appointed him as the Minister of Information and Communications, Minister for Tourism and Wildlife, and later Foreign Affairs Minister in a cabinet reshuffle in 2005.
He lost his seat in the 2007 parliamentary election, but Kibaki appointed him as an advisor and as a Special Envoy of the president on various missions.
Tuju later rose to the position of Jubilee Party Secretary General Raphael Tuju and was part of the team propelled Uhuru and President William Ruto (his then running mate) to power in 2017. In 2018, Uhuru named Tuju as a Cabinet Secretary without a portfolio.
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Hussein Mohamed
State House spokesperson Hussein Mohamed joined KTN in 2014, four years after graduating from Zetech University.
Hussein joined Citizen TV in 2008 as a news anchor and show host and worked for the station for a decade, establishing himself as a top-tier journalist in the country.
He hosted “The Big Question,” where he interviewed high-profile politicians, including the president, deputy president, and opposition leaders.
In October 2019, he announced his exit from the Royal Media Services, thanking viewers and mentors for their support.
Ruto appointed him as the Head of Communications in his Presidential campaign team before naming him as the State House Spokesperson after winning the elections.
Moha Jicho Pevu
Mohammed Ali, popularly known as Moha Jicho Pevu, remains one of the best investigative journalists the media industry has ever had.
He started at KBC as an intern, then joined Pwani FM, where he worked for nine months. Mohammed then moved to another coastal-based radio station, Radio Salaam, before joining KTN in 2007.
He is remembered for his popular “Jicho Pevu” series, which started on KTN, airing well-researched and daring investigative exposes.
In 2012, Mohammed Ali Jicho Pevu left KTN for NTV as an investigative reporter, but four months later, he returned to KTN.
He served at the Standard Group until 2017 when he was elected as the MP of Nyali on a Jubilee Party ticket. Moha Jicho Pevu retained his post in the 2022 elections.
Larry Madowo
During the early days of his career, Larry Madowo interned for a Naivasha-based vernacular radio station, Bahasha FM, reading news in English.
He then joined SG in 2008, serving as a business reporter at KTN until 2010. Afterwards, he joined Nation Media Group (NMG) in 2012 and moved to CNBC Africa, South Africa, in the same position in 2013.
Madowo rejoined NMG as a Technology Editor and News Anchor at NTV between January 2013 and March 2018.
Between April 2018 and May 2022, he worked at BBC as Africa Business Editor and North America Correspondent.
He currently serves as a CNN International Correspondent, having joined the U.S. international media house in 2021.
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