Titi Nagwala, is a major player in the field of journalism, despite being an engineer by profession. The self-proclaimed Mfalme wa Rhumba/Rhumba maestro has rocked the airwaves for nearly two decades, with his career sprouting in 2004.
Speaking with Kenyans.co.ke on Tuesday, May 12, the former Head of Radio at Milele FM revealed his whereabouts since exiting the Mediamax Network-owned station in December 2018.
With his eloquent Swahili and trademark laughter, Nagwala, who also worked at Royal Media Services' Radio Citizen, during its early days, and at the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, detailed that he ventured into business and digital journalism after he took a sabbatical.
"I took a sabbatical after exiting Milele FM and had planned to land another job in March 2020, however, with the Coronavirus pandemic breaking out, I decided to shelve the plan for a while.
"Right now, I am running my YouTube channel where I post my work and still connect with my fans. I also have been doing consultancy work for the past year. I believe I will be back in the media in a few months, as that is my passion and calling.
"Digital is the new wave and everyone is adjusting. Competition is stiff in the media but digital gives u an opportunity to shine," Nagwala disclosed.
For the media guru, he believed in himself even at a time his family didn't. While choosing a career to undertake, his parents and elder brother directed him to pursue Mechanical Engineering at Railways Training Institute (RTI), Nairobi. He even travelled to Canada for further studies, for three years.
"Journalism is a passion for me and a talent. Although I worked at big engineering firms, I left a hefty salary for an unpaid internship at KBC. I joined the current affairs desk at KBC, where I became a writer and also did voice-overs.
"While I was in Canada, I used to speak with journalists at CNN, DW and Voice of America (VOA), as I sought opportunities in media," Nagwala revealed in an interview with KTN's Lofty Matambo in 2015.
Upon returning to Kenya, opportunities in engineering were scarce and he resorted to hawking, as a means to an end.
"The course proved hard as I tarmacked selling groundnuts and maize while looking for an engineering job. I farmed and also worked at Kahawa plantations in Kiambu.
"My parents realised that I had to follow what I wanted in life and asked me to pursue journalism. In 2004, I joined KBC," Nagwala added.
A few years later, he landed a job at Royal Media Services where he worked with Granton Samboja (incumbent Taita Taveta Governor), and the two would, later on, join Mediamax.
