All Citizen TV news anchors and senior reporters are apparently not allowed to board matatus during their tenure at the station.
The media station's top-rated talent seems not to be left with much choice but to invest in jaw-dropping rides to accentuate their high-end taste in leafy suburbs (which is more like a requirement).
From Jeff Koinange to Victoria Rubadiri and Lilian Muli, the anchors have top-of-the-range vehicles with a price tag of up to Ksh 10 million.
Here are some of the elite cars your favourite TV talents use to turn heads on the road.
Jeff Koinange
Jeff is easily one of Royal Media Services' most valuable employees which explains why he would drive to work in a Mercedes G Wagon whose price is in the upwards of Ksh10 million.
On most days, the media personality black german machine can be spotted along Dennis Pritt Road, where -the station is based.
Koinange’s swanky Benz can be easily confused with President Uhuru Kenyatta’s personal vehicle which he has been spotted in a number of times.
His payslip affords him the luxury of living in the heart of Kitisuru - an address for the who is who in the city.
Victoria Rubadiri
Jeff Koinange’s news co-anchor Victoria Rubadiri parking space spots a 2009 BMW X5.
Rubadiri’s vehicle matches her personality, which is stylish but not flashy.
She drives to work in the mid-size luxury SUV which effortlessly mixes on-street driving fulfillment with present-day innovation and a luxury you would expect from a BMW.
Rubadiri recently cemented her spot as one of the best in Kenya media when she scooped the 2020 BBC World News Komla Dumor Award.
Its car’s interior is stylish and alluring, exudes confidence and commands a presence on the road.
The car has a rich history matching Rubadiri's who comes from the lineage of the late Prof David Rubadiri, a renowned high ranking diplomat in Malawi, a poet, playwright and novelist.
Rashid Abdallah & Lulu Hassan
Rashid Abdallah and his wife Lulu Hassan drive to work in a posh Toyota Landcruiser V8.
According to close sources at the station, the car belongs to Rashid but Lulu has also been spotted in her own black 4x4 when she needs to run her own personal errands.
While the media power couple often drive to work together, their hard work has afforded them the luxury of owning two different parking spots at their workplace.
Other than presenting the Swahili bulletin, the two also run a production company and are the brains behind Maria, a popular show aired on Citizen TV.
Yvonne Okwara
The next time you are driving along Dennis Pritt Road, lookout for the most fashionable TV anchor in her all-wheel-drive Toyota Prado TX.
The Prado has an amazing CV as a 4x4 junkie and appears to be more lavish than gutsy.
It is also widely accepted as Kenyan politicians’ go-to car - so much so that Parliament’s car park can be confused with a Toyota Prado TX car yard.
Other Citizen TV anchors who flaunt 4x4 Toyota Landucrusier include Director of Strategy & Innovation Linus Kaikai and Trevor Ombija.
Trevor Ombija
When Trevor was poached from NTV to Citizen, it obviously came with a hefty pay hike.
His love for high-end 4x4s is also evident in his choice of side hustle where he owns a company that hires out flashy cars in Nairobi.
He has a knack for 4x4s which offer the trappings of a mainstream SUV at a luxury-SUV price but has legitimate off-road capabilities.
He joins his fellow media colleague Ken Mijungu who found his footing in the lucrative car hire business after he was relieved of his duties from NTV.
Car hiring businesses in Kenya can fetch between Ksh 40,000 to Ksh 90,000 per car depending on the fees and types of cars.
Linus Kaikai
Linus has had an illustrious career in media having worked in three of Kenya’s most popular media stations including KTN, NTV before going to Citizen TV.
His Toyota Land Cruiser has been outfitted with a plethora of upscale features to justify its towering sticker price.
It boasts of standard four-zone climate control, heated and ventilated front seats, leather-trimmed upholstery, a 9.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, and wireless charging.
Powered by a 5.7-liter V-8 engine and an eight-speed automatic transmission, the vehicle is able to generate 381 horsepower.
A full-time four-wheel-drive is guaranteed, and the driver enjoys smooth and driving dynamics.
Lilian Muli
The only secret about Lilian Muli’s vehicle is probably its parking space at her home which she has kept away from the public.
Her all-black Mercedes Benz E-350 dots her Instagram page and recently got unwarranted attention from unwanted quarters.
The vehicle boasts air springs, a surround-view camera system, a self-parking system, and lane centering that steers the car down the highway as long as the driver has a light grip on the steering wheel.
Aside from the engineering excellence, the Mercedes-Benz oozes class so when you are seen cruising around in one, it implies that you are a person of status.
The Citizen TV anchor claimed that a stalker had been taking photos of her vehicle a number of times and thought that they would be used for malicious motives.
Muli’s love for heavy machines is also seen in her Range Rover which she flaunted on her Instagram page a few years ago.
