Alex Mwakideu, a Kenyan broadcaster, has revealed how years in the broadcast industry have changed how he experiences sound and how he has experienced progressive hearing loss.
Mwakideu, who currently works with Radio 47, said his life has been surrounded by sound for about 22 years.
His career has taken him through radio stations, studios, clubs, and other environments where loud sound was part of his daily routine; with Radio 47, he identifies himself as one of the hosts of its Breakfast Show.
In his account, Mwakideu reflected on the irony of spending years helping audiences hear him while gradually reaching a point where he struggled to hear the people around him.
According to Mwakideu, his hearing problem first became noticeable in ordinary situations, including during conversations with his wife and children, particularly when there was background noise.
His wife, Mariam Mwemba, and children Zemira, Natanya and Janaya noticed that Alex had issues with his hearing when he would request them to repeat themselves or speak louder and watched the TV at full volume.
At home, Mwakideu sometimes had to stop eating or brushing his teeth so he could concentrate on what someone was saying.
“One time we are talking, and one time I can’t hear them. When I am brushing my teeth, and my wife is talking to me, I have to stop to hear. At the dinner table, if my children are talking, I have to stop chewing,” Alex explained about his hearing loss.
Mwakideu further explained that at times people assumed he was ignoring them, including his workmates at Radio 47.
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Alex Mwakideu Hearing Tests
At first, Mwakideu considered whether earwax could be responsible and sought medical attention from Doctor Alex, but the improvement did not resolve the underlying problem.
In June 2025, Alex got a referral from an Avenue Hospital ENT surgeon for an audiological assessment.
Clinical audiologist Helen Otunga explained that Mwakideu underwent a hearing test and a middle-ear assessment.
Results from the assessment found that Mwakideu had mild to moderate sensory neural hearing loss affecting the cochlear, which could not be corrected through medication or surgery.
Otunga explained that the condition affects the part of the hearing system responsible for converting sound into electrical signals transmitted to the brain.
According to Otunga, the hearing loss is more pronounced in his left ear, where he has lost roughly 45 to 50 percent of hearing.
Following the tests and diagnosis, Mwakideu spent KSh 430,000 on his personalized hearing aids to help him converse with others without difficulty.
Prior to Alex getting his hearing aids, he explained to the Helen that due to his hearing loss, he often secluded himself during social gatherings and kept to himself during meetings, which was affecting his social and professional life.
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Broadcast Career
Mwakideu’s broadcasting career began at Baraka FM in Mombasa, where he said he was allowed to develop his skills.
He has also worked at Radio Maisha and Milele FM, where he served as Head of Radio between 2010 and 2018.
Mwakideu has also worked at Milele FM under Mediamax for 5 years before exiting in 2023 and joining Radio Maisha, where he currently hosts the Breakfast 47.
Despite the hearing problem, Mwakideu has affirmed that, if allowed to relive his life, he would still choose the broadcast industry.
“This is me; it is part of me, and this is the life I am going to live forever because I chose sound, I chose the broadcast business, and if you were to allow me to go back in time and choose again, I would still choose broadcasting,” Alex Mwakideu stated.
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