Every successful person has their own 'from grass to grace' story and that of NTV journalist Mark Masai is a rather unique one.
While digging through archives on the internet, Kenyans.co.ke discovered that the poised but tough interviewer was once a matatu tout plying the industrial area route.
The journalist made the revelations in a sit down with NTV's Discovery 254 presenters in 2015.
He also told Capital FM a few years later that he served as a conductor between 2002 and 2004 shortly after finishing his high school education.
He further divulged that it was a family business and that he learnt a tone from performing the duty.
"My first job I was a makanga, (tout) Industrial Area, Hillocks. I finished high school in 2002, so between that time and 2004, I did a bit of it because it was a business for our family, I was one of the conductors.
"It was before Michuki so we had a few conductors and my bro was the driver. So beba beba, industrial area Hillocks. It wasn’t fun but taught me good life lessons," narrated the presenter at the time.
Masai began his fledgling career in mainstream media back in 2008 while he was just 22 years becoming one of the youngest adept news presenters of our time.
To get to that point, however, his life's journey was not all rosy. According to media reports, the journalist was given up for adoption just months after birth.
Fortunately, he was adopted by Mary Wright, a British Missionary, who took care of him together with his brother until 2001 when she left the country but they were already grown-ups.
“My mother insisted on the proper use of English language, she was an English teacher and the use of proper language was mandatory, that’s what I am using today to pay my bills,” he praised Wright for inspiring him to pursue journalism.
He was also part of a choir, African Children’s Choir, that toured the US and performed for masses.
