Celebrated journalist John-Allan Namu, is a man who needs little introduction, with his investigative news segment Jicho Pevu/Inside Story alongside Mohamed Ali, one of the most highly rated news shows.
Speaking during an interview on Showmax that was aired on March 6, the Kenyan scribe explained the details as well as the motivation behind his new 13-part investigative documentary series dubbed Maisha Mkanda.
“Maisha Mkanda is our attempt to humanize all of the subjects that people have thought of perhaps as taboo. It also deals with some difficult topics but looking at them more through the eyes and the journeys of the characters that we’ve spoken to,” he stated.
The critically acclaimed investigative series tells the various stories of Kenya, from the very lips of the characters in the story, from Dusit D2 attack survivors to families that had experienced the rampant femicide that has hit the country over the last few years.
Namu's new show premiered on the streaming platform that broadcasts to at least 65 countries, consequently placing the celebrated journalist among Kenya's very best.
He went on to explain the inspiration behind the concept for the show that has been beaming Kenya's beacon across the world.
“People’s journeys and people’s choices are very easy to judge from the outside, like for instance with wife inheritance but you really don’t know what the context is until you walk a mile in a person’s shoes. We want people to see these stories and understand them from that point of view,” Namu revealed.
Not many people have encountered live bullets, seen the real face of war, tracked drug dealers, had threats made against their life, and still managed to be a spouse and parent.
The investigative journalist has done all that, but even more surprising, was his decision to quit KTN back in November 2019.
"The media world and media companies in Kenya have come a very long way, it’s commendable. But there are still restrictions and power plays that are beyond the media houses. I realised there was only so far I could grow within these constraints," he revealed following his resignation.
Alongside some of his former colleagues at the media house, Namu launched Africa Uncensored, which is the channel he used to launch his new investigative show -Maisha Mkanda, which airs across the world on Showmax.
Namu speaks on his new investigative show:
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