Fridah Mwaka, popularly known as Kichuna, is among the Kenyan television personalities who have built careers beyond the newsroom.
Known for her Swahili news presentation, distinctive fashion choices and on-screen chemistry with fellow journalist Lofty Matambo, Mwaka has established herself as a journalist, entrepreneur and gospel musician.
Recently, Fridah announced on November 8 that she was leaving NTV Kenya after about five years at the station.
“To our supporters, thank you for being with us in our news sections on NTV Weekend, but it is time to say goodbye. You want to know where I am going? Keep it locked,” Fridah stated.
Early Life and Family Background
Mwaka comes from Kilifi County, and in a 2015 interview with The Standard, she described herself as an only child.
Her father, Patrick Mwaka, has been involved in agriculture, agro-processing and business, while her mother worked as a teacher and counsellor.
Fridah’s mother also introduced her to tailoring and practical skills that later influenced her fashion business.
In her personal life, Mwaka is married to architect Samuel Nguma Ndhuli.
The couple held their wedding ceremony on November 30, 2019, at Mnarani Club in Kilifi County.
In interviews, Mwaka explained that she and her husband knew each other from childhood and reconnected later in life.
She has also said she will keep her professional name, Fridah Mwaka, because it has become an established identity in her media career.
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Education and Media Journey
Mwaka holds a Diploma in Mass Communication from Mombasa Aviation Institute.
Later, she joined Daystar, where she pursued Public Relations and International Relations.
She also joined Shine FM 103.1 and the school’s radio, where she was paired with Hassan Omar, then known by his presenter name ‘Uncle Vuvuzela’, who is currently pursuing politics.
During her time at the radio, Mwaka came up with the childhood nickname Kichuna after Omar advised her that using her full name during radio presentations was boring.
Mwaka and Omar received 3 awards for having the best radio show for bringing celebrities such as Njugush and Johnson Mwakazi.
How Fridah Mwaka Rose Through Kenya’s Media Industry
Mwaka began her professional television career at Ebru TV in 2016 before moving into radio at Kubamba FM.
Fridah joined KTN after the company advertised positions for ‘The Presenter Season 2’.
At the time, her friend and gospel artist Michael Yena asked her to greet his brother, a radio presenter, and she ended up meeting Lofty Matambo.
Initially, Mwaka wanted to try out for the position as an English presenter, but Lofty advised her to join as a Swahili presenter.
On the night of the interview, Lofty helped Mwaka prepare in advance and shared a script of the breaking news, which at the time was the death of the late Raila’s son, Fidel Castro Odinga’s death.
Her interviewers were Eric Lattif, Ben Kitili, and Alex Chamwada, who interviewed 6,000 contestants.
Fridah passed the interview but was later called back to the interview, competing alongside Jamal Gadafi, Abulah Ahmed, Mitchelle Ngele, Zainab Ismael, among others.
In 2018, she joined KTN News as a Swahili news anchor.
At KTN, viewers became familiar with her through programmes including KTN Leo and KTN Wikendi.
She later moved to NTV Kenya in 2021, joining the station alongside Lofty Matambo.
At NTV, she worked as a Swahili news anchor, assistant news editor and reporter, covering different social and economic issues.
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The Woman Behind House of Kichuna
Away from journalism, Mwaka is the founder of House of Kichuna, a fashion business that reflects her longstanding interest in clothing design.
Her interest in tailoring began at home, where her mother taught her how to make clothes.
She gradually developed the skill into a business, creating customised outfits for clients.
Her fashion interests also became part of her television identity, with several of the outfits she wore while presenting news coming from her own fashion business.
Mwaka is also involved in gospel music. One of her known songs is Msaada Wangu, released in 2015.
She has also worked with Lofty Matambo on music projects, including Weh Corona, released in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Awards and Recognition
In 2023, Fridah received the Best Female Journalist in Africa award at the LIMAA Awards in Accra, Ghana.
She was also recognised among Kenya’s Top 50 Influential Women in 2026.
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