Kamkunji Member of Parliament Yusuf Hassan reminisced on anchoring news at the Voice of Kenya (VoK), currently known as the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC), in the 70s.
Hassan, who was working at the national broadcaster radio station as DJ on Saturday and Sunday, was hand-picked to read the news on the radio when one of the journalists failed to show up.
"One day, one of the popular journalists who read the news in the evening was absent. VoK asked me to read the news in Swahili.
"On another occasion, a famous TV journalist also failed to show up, and I was dressed by the team to anchor the news," he explained during an interview on KTN on Friday, November 4.
Hassan added that it was common for journalists to fail to show up to work. He would, therefore, be chosen to read the news on weekends.
"On Monday, during the weekly meeting, the Managing Director asked about me. Surprisingly, he stated that I was good," he recounted.
The MP was employed as an anchor with a Ksh800 per month salary and transport and housing allowances. He served majorly on the radio and occasionally anchor the news.
VoK also asked him to overhaul his wardrobe and align his fashion with his new role.
The MP, who lacked a TV set, would watch himself in his neighbour's house.
Several media houses kept an eye on his talent and skillset as his career progressed. He joined the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) branch in Nairobi a few years later, one of the hallmarks of his career.
Nonetheless, he still got a part-time job, where he was paid hourly, to boost his income.
In his career as a journalist, Hassan was privileged to cover major stories across the globe, including the release of the late South African President Nelson Mandela in 1990.
He also won awards and other accolades. After quitting BBC, Hassan and other African journalists, founded the Africa Events newspaper, highlighting unique and unheard stories in the continent.
