One Thursday evening late last year, KTN viewers bombarded the social media discussing a new face on local screen.
It was the graceful baby-faced beauty Mala Kivila, fresh from Daystar, incidentally dissecting the complex world of commerce. Her show Business Focus, was on budding entrepreneurs.
Instead, the young beauty was the ‘budding’ talk and there was no
keeping the secret as confounded men hurried to share the good news.
“I am lost like a goose in a hail storm. I am nowhere near a TV set,”
one guy — unlucky enough — commented while wondering whom this Mala
Kivila everyone was talking about, was.The debate on the loveliest damsel on local screen has always been subject to, sometimes hot, debate. But just to assess, who is currently rocking the TV screens lately?
Miss Tamika (25)
Star sign: Sagittarius
Tamika Wanjiru aka Miss Tamima is a presenter and producer at KTN. She hosts Str8-Up Live from Monday to Thursday as well as Saturday. According to Miss Tamima, being on television is more than just standing in front of the camera.
“There is a lot of logistics, creativity, research and hard work that goes into it. I love doing interviews and giving artistes an avenue to tell their story. I also love discovering new talents,” she says.
Tamima is a star in her own right. She grew up in Kibera slums and her family did not have a television set. Because of this, she didn’t watch a lot of TV or have such a passion to become a TV personality.
“A lot of people assume that if you are on television, you got there through a ‘godfather’ or because you are from an influential family, but that is not the case,” she remarks.
She made her first shilling as a sales girl, selling airtime on the streets of Nairobi.
“It was hard but I was good at it. From there, I worked as a personal assistant then moved on to be a stylist at Sylvia Owori’s fashion line. I finally landed a job as a writer at The Insyder magazine and now, here I am. “Looking back, every single experience gave me a skill that sets me apart. It is not about where you come from, but where you want to go. Hard work is the only ticket to your dream,” she explains.
She believes her X-factor is her smile, genuine passion and personality.
Jacqualine Mwangi (23)
Star sign: Virgo
After Pierra Makena, it was Sarah Hassan aka Tanya who became the hot thing on Tahidi High. But now the title goes to none other than 23-year-old Jacqualine, who plays Jolene the new villain on the TV drama show; a girl that cares less about her studies. All she worries about is her looks.
“She is the b***h who makes life for her classmates, and also teachers, a living hell.
“I play the villain of the show and it is so much fun to play a character that is very different from my own personality,” quips Jacqualine.
Her aspiration is to venture into movies and more television shows, and to blow up like her predecessors — Sarah who now hosts a show on DSTV, and Pierre Makena who has since ventured into radio, television and events.
Amina aka Misha Abdi (25)
Star sign: Cancer
Sizzling Amina is the host of Homeboyz Radio’s The Source with DJ Hassan. She also hosts a segment called My Top 10 besides being a prolific emcee and budding musician. She hit the music scene with three blazing singles: On Me, a collaboration with freshman Jay A, Swag, which she collaborated with hip-hop star Octopizzo and Paint The Town Red with rapper K Letta.
She recently crossed over to TV. By the end of last year, she was on everyone’s lips. Like an addiction, she can be contagious and irresistible, and Pulsers are no doubt feeling her vibe.
Rachael Muthoni aka Mwalimu Rachael (27)
Star sign: Capricorn
Rachael Muthoni has her own show on Homeboyz radio. She hosts the afternoon session that she refers to as her class. And talking about class, Mwalimu Rachael gets a lot of love from her fans (or do we call them students), who text in or tweet their requests for songs. Her demographic is young; mainly college and university students. But she is not only a queen of radio. She also hosts a live deejay mix show called Homegrown on Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) together with deejay Hassan. Her television show features local music and has a huge following amongst the young.
How did she get on television? “I began presenting the show back in 2010. Prior to that, I had no real experience on live television. My desire to join TV was unstoppable. Soon, my character stood out and before I knew it, I had gained confidence to even enjoy the music and dance on live television,” she notes.
Rachael believes that her star quality is her love for television. She is currently working towards creating and hosting her own show.
“That is something in the pipes and as soon as it happens, Kenya and her borders will know. It will not be easy, but I know it will happen by God’s grace,” she concludes.
Mumbai Maina aka Nandi (28)
Star sign: Capricorn (January 14)
The three-time Kalasha award nominee is one of the fast-rising talk about in local TV drama shows and films. (See our Spotlight feature)
Michelle K Morgan
Besides KTN’s Mala Kivila, many have described newest face on local TV Michelle Morgan as a Julie Gichuru in the making. She oozes smashing sensual appeal and her American accent makes her stand out. She is a model remembered for representing Kenya in the M-net Face of Africa contest, some years back.
Anita Nderi
Star sign: Aquarius (February 9)
The talkative, fun-loving host of the Teen Republic TV show, Anita Nderi, is currently pursuing a degree in International Business Administration. So talkative is she that during the interview for the show, she was told that she spoke too fast. She loves photography and anything glamorous. She thinks that due to her shyness, people tend to perceive her as snobbish. She plays football and loves sports.
