Citizen TV staff and friends surprised their colleague Rashid Abdalla with a birthday cake as he anchored prime time news alongside his wife and co-anchor Lulu Hassan.
Lulu made the surprise announcement as they wrapped up their panel discussion with Bi Msafwari on Saturday, April 17.
The soft-spoken presenter told her husband that the cake had been provided by Mombasa Tourism Stakeholders headed by the county's Governor Hassan Joho.
"They said that they respect you a lot and they wish you all the best. They have also wished you a happy birthday and brought you a cake inside the studio," stated Hassan while the cake was being presented to him.
Bi Msafwari, who was appearing on the show via a video link, broke into a song for the birthday boy who appeared overwhelmed by emotions.
Among attendees were Citizen TV journalists Stephen Letoo and Hassan Mugambi who were in studio, and two other panelists who appeared via a video link.
In his acceptance speech, Abdalla thanked the stakeholders as well as the Mombasa governor for the kind gesture.
"(I thank all) tourism stakeholders starting with their boss Usher among others together with their leader Governor Ali Hassan Joho and thank you for the cake.
"I know that for a person to thrive in life, you need people who care. I will forever cherish this," stated Abdalla.
Taking to her social media shortly after the surprise, Hassan wished her co-anchor all the best noting that he was her best friend.
"It's my best friend's birthday, my co-anchor's birthday, my support system's birthday, the father of my kids birthday my ride or die," wrote the soft-spoken Swahili anchor.
The two anchors, who began co-hosting a prime time bulletin in 2018, have been married since 2013 and are blessed with three beautiful children (two boys and a girl).
Below is the video:
