Allan Ademba is a Kenyan journalist who put his work aside to join thousands of youth protesting against the government's proposed tax hikes in the controversial Finance Bill 2024.
He became a prominent figure among ordinary Kenyans and on social media after a BBC investigative documentary exposed how Kenyan security officers were involved in the shooting of innocent protesters, shaking the world’s conscience.
Amid the jubilant anxiety of millions of Kenyans who watched the documentary, Kenyans.co.ke reached out to Ademba to share his story, with his name trending at number two on X with a total of over 7,000 tweets under his name at the time of publishing this story.
We began by asking Allan Ademba, like any other Kenyan, to tell us more about himself. His response was simple:
"Allan Ademba is a born Kenyan and a journalist who is currently in his fourth year at Mount Kenya University (MKU), pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Broadcast Journalism," Ademba said, introducing himself amidst the celebratory mood on social media during an exclusive interview.
Ademba's story began from quite an ordinary background in the slums of Kibera, where he learnt the art of patriotism.
From Kibera, he went on to do his secondary school education at Rang'ala Boys High School in Siaya County before embarking on a noble course that would later be the talk of everyone's mouth.
However, during our interview, Ademba insisted on not being asked in detail about his life growing up and family, maintaining that his heroic acts were simply out of a patriotic feeling to champion a better Kenya and had nothing to do with his childhood upbringing.
"I am from Kibra, born and raised. However, that has nothing to do with my actions; all that I did was simply out of my patriotism. As I said, I was motivated by being a journalist and a Kenyan first," Ademba unequivocally stated.
During the protests, Ademba was recorded while rushing to save the lives of fellow youths who had been shot amid the chaos. This unfolded as hundreds of other protesters fled for their lives when Parliament's precincts came under heavy gunfire.
Fear of Life
When asked whether he was terrified and what was going through his mind in that tense moment, Ademba firmly stated that, as both a journalist and a Kenyan, he had nothing to fear. That was why he continued with the rescue effort.
"I’ve told you before," he said, "before the protests, I was a journalist and a Kenyan. So if I ever died for my country, it would have been worth it."
Ademba challenged the government to shift its focus from intimidating dissenting voices and instead focus on finding the real shooters of the tens of protestors who came to express their anger towards the Finance Bill 2024.
"I do fear for my life, but what the government should focus on is finding the killers of the Gen Zs. I am just a young journalist," he added.
Career objectives
As a global platform with thousands of viewers who may have admired Ademba's courage, the BBC investigation brought significant attention to his actions. Kenyans.co.ke took the opportunity to ask how this exposure had impacted his media career.
According to Ademba, he believes his heroic actions have given him visibility and strengthened his CV, though he remains humble and leaves the rest to fate.
Ademba is focused on making a breakthrough in the media industry, expressing that only time will reveal the impact of his actions on his future endeavours.
"I believe it will propel me somehow," he said. "But honestly, I do not know, and I leave everything to God at this particular moment."
We also asked the budding journalist about his feelings on the overwhelming support from Kenyans on social media following his actions.
He shared that the feedback from Kenyans was overwhelmingly generous and positive, adding, "I want to sincerely thank them for that. Amid the tensions, it truly showed a sense of patriotism."
