Popular NRG radio show host King Kalala has announced her departure from the urban station after nearly three years.
Kalala, whose real name is Prudence Chepkirui, announced on her social media handles on Tuesday, October 8, with a personal message to her fans.
"After much thought, I have decided to part ways with NRG RADIO," she said in her statement. "This decision wasn’t easy, but I believe it’s time for me to explore new directions and focus on exciting new ventures ahead.
She added, "I’m beyond grateful for all the opportunities I’ve had to grow and collaborate with such a talented group. While this chapter closes, I’m excited about the future and can’t wait to share the next steps with you."
While she did not necessarily announce her next move, Kalala assured her fans that 'bigger and better' things were coming.
King Kalala shot to prominence in the Kenyan social media scene thanks to her unique voice and unfiltered nature. Her knack for delivering unpopular opinions on modern social issues including love and relationships helped her become relatable, particularly among younger audiences.
The 26-year-old doubles as a social media influencer and YouTuber, with well over 740,000 followers on Instagram, which is her most lucrative online platform. Besides radio, King Kalala has also taken her voice talents to podcasts, where she consistently makes appearances in some of the most popular podcasts in Kenya.
Kalala's exit will come as a big blow to NRG radio, as she was arguably one of the most prized presenters at the station thanks to her huge online following. Her show, NRG Transit, had some of the highest ratings.
After initially hosting one of the best morning shows in Kenyan radio dubbed the B Club show alongside 3 men dubbed ‘3 Men Army’, Kalala switched to an evening show dubbed 'NRG Transit Queens', where she was placed untill her departure.
Her announcement came just two days after her counterpart Natalie Githinji also announced her exit. In her statement, Githinji noted that her reason for leaving the station was to pursue other opportunities and seek fresh challenges.
Githinji is another presenter who will be a huge miss at the station, since she also commanded a huge following and was one of the pioneer presenters when NRG was still establishing itself in the Kenyan market.
In less than one year, the radio station has experienced a mass exodus of some of its biggest names, who were synonymous with the brand. Three months before King Kalala and Natalie Githinji's exits, Shaquille O'Neill Oduk, better known as ShaqtheYungin, left the station after six years saying, "Hardest choice that I’ve been thinking of making for a minute but yeah, I’m gonna miss you all on this side! God bless all who were part of the journey."
Shaq's departure came roughly two months after two major presenters Mwalimu Rachel and DJ Xclusive bid the Westlands-based station goodbye.
The duo quit in March after serving at the station for six years. The two hosted a similar show. Mwalimu Rachel left NRG and landed a new role with the Radio Africa Group where she was joined by DJ Xclusive.