Citizen TV anchor Ayub Abdikadir rose to the public limelight after upsetting the norm during a televised interview with the former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairman Wafula Chebukati but little is known about the struggle he endured to get to the top.
The Royal Media Services Journalist's journey began on the dusty and rugged football fields of Wajir where he spent most of his childhood playing football.
He attended Wajir Primary School before joining Wajir High School where he nurtured his communications skills and sense of curiosity, simply referred to as 'nose for news'.
As far as journalism is concerned, Ayub's desire to work in a media company began in the early stages of his life and only grew bigger and brighter when he left Wajir for Nairobi to pursue the same goal.
"A passion endured from the onset when I was in Primary School. I come from a family where my 85-year-old grandfather has been tuning in to listen to BBC World Service," Abdikadir recalled.
At Mount Kenya University where he pursued his Bachelor's degree in communication and journalism, Ayub always took a front-row seat to learn and sharpen his journalistic skills.
"I was a self-sponsored student and that meant that my goals were different since I had to face financial struggles to pay fees.
"I had a side hustle which ensured that I got money to take care of my financial needs, especially during the holidays. One person who is now a Cabinet Secretary (name withheld) was very instrumental in helping me accomplish my studies," Ayuba explained.
His determination would later earn him an internship opportunity at Ebru TV and later at K24 TV where he truly found a place to exercise his craft.
However, before securing his place in scribal templates of Kenyan Journalism, Ayub went through it all, and like a bar of gold going through the refineries, the man from Wajir acquired complex experiences that he was willing to share.
"I look back at that journey and appreciate every little thing that I did as part of my passion for journalism. I'm very proud of the journey despite our divert options in life," Ayub noted.
Ayub secured a volunteer position which later metamorphosed into an internship programme while he was in his last semester at the university.
According to Ayub, life was not easy at all for the young journalist who had to forego many luxuries in life just to stay at the media house.
Ayub's sacrifices did not go unnoticed as managers easily recognised his contribution and promoted him to host a morning show while still serving as an intern.
"I worked for nine months as part of my internship course and out of my own personal volition, I decided to extend that volunteership for me to gain more experience," Ayub recounted.
Ayub asked young budding journalists to consider making sacrifices when they are pursuing their dream jobs since it's out of the small things that bigger things come.
His heroic code-breaking efforts during the August 2022 General Election won him a number of fans, especially, when he tactfully hard-pressed election officials to answer the all-importation questions, just a month before the much-contested General Election.
The journalist's perfectly nestled contributions to the 2022 Presidential Debate later earned him a vantage place at Kenya's most-watched television station, Citizen TV.
"I know talent when I see one. I know professionalism when I spot it. I appreciate the depth and research in journalism. Here is another great one of our nation working towards the top. He will get there. Kudos," former Chief Administrative Secretary David Osiany praised him after the interview.
He joined Citizen TV on August 5, 2022, and remained on the mission since then - giving his very best to an audience he cherishes most.
