For three years now, Swahili News anchor Kaltun Jama has been among a staple of NTV presenters that have graced the living rooms of millions of Kenyans.
In an exclusive interview with Kenyans.co.ke, Jama, however, admitted that her rise to the top, a spotlight she shares with some of the country's revered anchors including Salim Swaleh, Frida Mwaka and Lofty Matambo, has not been easy.
She noted that she began her career in a Somali Radio station located in Nairobi where she served as a reporter pocketing Ksh 8,000 a month.
She later rose up the ranks after landing a job at the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC), which she describe as the most pivotal point in her career.
"It has been almost four years since I started working as a journalist. My first job was a certain company that was paying Ksh8,000. It was a Somali Radio station.
"I landed a job at NTV after mass exits by its employees. I tried my luck and applied," she stated noting that she landed the job in 2018.
She further disclosed that love for the media industry stemmed right from her childhood years when she used to read newspaper articles to her relatives and friends.
She carried on with her craft to High School where he interest in Kiswahili language blossomed.
"My childhood was fine. I went to Isiolo Girls in Isiolo County before pursuing a diploma. I always wanted to be a journalist since my childhood.
"Back in high school, I almost read Swahili set books. That was where I started honing my skill. While young, I used to read newspapers for my relatives," she noted.
Since her career is now paving into view, Jama noted that she looks up to African Uncensored founder and investigative journalist John Allan Namu "because of the great job that he does."
"Many people have started at KBC. I learned a lot at the station and worked with older journalist with more experience which was a good challenge," she added.
For upcoming reporters, Jama advised the to keep an open mind while stepping into the often first-paced world of news distribution.
"Come to the industry prepared. You should not give up because things are not easy in the newsroom," she concluded.
Jama hosts NTV's prime time Swahili bulletin as well as the 4 p.m. version.
