Badi Muhsin: Veteran TV Anchor Who Rose Against All Odds

The veteran KBC Swahili news anchor, Badi Muhsin, holds the enviable position of attaining legendary status among his peers, not only for his eloquence but his overall character as well.

He was an ever constant presence on millions of TV screens across the country, with young and old alike lauding his exceptional command of the language.

Interestingly, his shot at realizing his dream of excelling in the world of broadcast journalism came when he least expected it.

Muhsin started honing his craft from a young age, he was already etching his name as a great orator and writer during his high school days at Kalawa Secondary School in Kitui.

His exceptional gift was what resulted in him being picked to commentate at sports events in the area, and it was during one of this functions that the then Member of Parliament, Daniel Mutinda, pushed him to try out an interview at the Voice of Kenya (VOK), and the rest is history.

During a 2018 interview with Lofty Matambo at KTN News, Muhsin confessed that the biggest influence in his stellar career, was the late Mohamed Juma Njuguna.

"Mtangazaji ambaye sitaweza kumsahau kbc, ni mohamed juma njuguna. huyu ni mmoja wa watangazaji ambao walinipa motisha sana katika kutangaza habari kwenye runinga, loosely translating to, the one broadcast journalist I will never ever forget at KBC is Mohamed Juma Njuguna. He went out of his way to encourage me and push me to excel as a TV anchor," he divulged.

The humorous anchor once confessed to having lied on national television, after an unexpected technical glitch.

It was back during his time at KBC, and he had just been asked to read out the weather forecast, but no one had furnished him with a script.

Once on air, he was forced to improvise, going on to air out a two-second weather forecast.

"Kuangalia makaratasi sina, hapo ilibidi niseme uongo, maanake ushawaambia watu kwamba unaenda kuwapa utabiri wa hali ya hewa, niliwaambia, 'inaonekana sehemu zote zitakuwa shwari, kwaheri,' loosely translating to, I realized I had no script, hence I had to lie as I had already promised the audience that I'd give them the weather forecast. I told them that it looks like all the regions would enjoy good weather," he narrated in between hearty laughs.

Once asked by Parents Magazine to point out the various hurdles faced by TV anchors, this is what he had to say;

“Working in the media comes with various temptations and this is where self-discipline plays a big role. I know my boundaries and respect my family. When invited to functions, I prefer my host to make provision for me to attend with my wife,” he disclosed, adding that his wife is a private person who does not like being in the public eye.

The native son of Kitui has since hung up his mic, moving on to focus on his personal company as well as family.

Did I mention that he was presented with the Order of the Grand Warrior (OGW) award in 2011 by retired president Mwai Kibaki for his long service in the Kenyan media?

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