Media Personalities Who Found Love at Work

Sam Gituku and Ivy Waitherero during their wedding in 2019
Sam Gituku and Ivy Waitherero during their wedding in 2019 (left) and NTV news presenter James Smart and his wife Remmy Manjala.
Kenyans.co.ke

The media profession is among the toughest, from the long hours to the demanding, high-pressure environment. To survive the space, one needs a strong support team of friends that will help them.

Naturally, some friendships germinated into unbreakable bonds and eventually into marriage.

Kenyans.co.ke looks at some of the journalists who found love in the media houses and came up with the following list:

African Uncensored founder John Allan Namu (right) and his wife Sheena Makena
African Uncensored founder John Allan Namu (right) and his wife Sheena Makena.
File



John Allan Namu and Sheena Makena 



Media personality John Allan Namu and his wife Sheena Makena tied the knot in 2010 when the two were still working at the Standard Media Group. Namu was an investigative journalist while Makena was an editor.

Speaking during a past interview, the African Uncensored boss revealed that he and Makena were acquaintances back from campus at the United States International University (USIU). 

She was three years senior to Namu and by the time he joined the Mombasa Road-based media house as an intern, she was already an editor. The two maintained their friendship as both were in different relationships.

However, when they both fell out with their respective partners, they began seeing each other. The two had a child together before Namu was exiled to Europe. While admitting to have been reluctant about starting a family, he eventually proposed to her .

“I told Makena I’m willing to work things out and be part of our child’s life. We went for an ultrasound at 20 weeks and when I was told we were having a boy I was really excited. This was one of the points in our relationship that really cemented who we are today,” he says.

Citizen TV News Anchors Lulu Hassan (Left) and her husband Rashid Abdalla.
Citizen TV News Anchors Lulu Hassan (Left) and her husband Rashid Abdalla.
File

Lulu Hassan & Rashid



On July 21, 2019, Citizen TV announced the first-ever married couple to announce prime time news together-Lulu Hassan and her husband, Rashid Abdalla.

As part of their revamp, the Royal Media Services poached Abdalla from the Nation Media Group. From matching outfits to fun moments while anchoring, the couple has become a force to reckon with.

However, Rashid and Lulu Hassan's chemistry on set began nearly 15 years back when they were presenters at Mombasa- based Radio Salaam. Together, they own Jiffy Pictures which has produced leading shows including Maria and Zora.

BBC News Anchor Grace Kuria (right) and her lover Joseph Kanja during her ruracio in Murang'a on Saturday, December 11, 2021.
BBC News Anchor Grace Kuria (right) and her lover Joseph Kanja during her ruracio in Murang'a on Saturday, December 11, 2021.
Instagram

Grace Kuria

The latest couple on the list is the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) journalist and MediaMax Graphic Designer Joseph Kanja. The two kept their relationship on the low until December 2021.

Grace posted a photo of herself and her fiancé in what she confirmed to be their traditional wedding 'ruracio', with their white wedding set to happen this year.

"There shall be a wedding sometime next year. This was just a traditional wedding and a church wedding is yet to come," a source intimated to Kenyans.co.ke.

Their relationship blossomed while they were working at K24 where Grace started her career as a reporter while Kanja was a camera person. They started seeing each other in 2018.

James Smart and his wife, Remy Majala
James Smart and his wife, Remy Majala
James Smart

James Smart and Remmy Majala

NTV anchor and presenter, James Smart is married to Whats Good Africa host and producer, Remmy Majala. While they have kept their love life away from the media, the two met while they were both working at MediaMax.

Smart joined K24 in 2007 while Majala joined in 2008. The two are said to have struck a friendship which germinated into love. The couple is blessed with two children.

Sam Gituku and Ivy Waitherero during their wedding in 2019.
Sam Gituku and Ivy Waitherero during their wedding in 2019.
Sam Gituku

Sam Gituku and Ivy Waitherero

Citizen TV presenter and host Sam Gituku married his longtime girlfriend, Ivy Waitherero. Gituku and Waitherero exchanged vows at Deliverance Church, Langata in May  2019.

Gituku, who won the 2014 Young Journalist of the Year award, married his colleague - a Citizen TV news director in a ceremony witnessed by colleagues among them Joe Ageyo, Waihiga Mwaura, Mac Otani and Mumbi Warui.