I Lost 25 Colleagues - K24 TV Journalist Recounts Harrowing 3-Year as GSU Officer

An image of K24 newsroom studios.
An aerial shot of refurbished K24 newsroom studios.
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A K24 journalist opened up on how he missed death by a whisker while working in General Service Unit(GSU).

Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, on Tuesday, February 21, Ibrahim Kimani Muhoro, revealed how he lost most of his friends in the police operation forcing him to hand in his resignation letter.

Kimani worked as a GSU Constable for three years before changing services and returning home to work in the Media industry in 2016.

“I left the Paramilitary, as a result, of the witch hunt after a special operation against bandits that was supposed to take two weeks in Kapedo turned into a seven-month operation," he narrated. 

K24 Journalist Ibrahim Kimani Muhoro reporting on Lamu Cultural Annual Festival on November 30, 2022
K24 Journalist Ibrahim Kimani Muhoro reporting on Lamu Cultural Annual Festival on November 30, 2022
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Ibrahim Kimani

Kimani recounted losing more than 25 of his colleagues and friends while in the line of duty.

"I became sick and was denied access to health care and upon forcing and pushing, I was given four days to travel home to Mpeketoni, Lamu County for treatment," he revealed to Kenyans.co.ke.

However, his condition did not get any better as his health deteriorated upon reaching home but his efforts to explain to the staffing officer in charge were met with frustrations.

"That's when I wrote a resignation letter,” Kimani revealed of his decision to quit and shift his attention to journalism, his original profession he had abandoned due to unemployment.

“(The force) was a burning desire that was inside of me. When an opportunity came I decided to give it a shot.

It came at a time when I was job hunting and didn't have an income to sustain me after college. So when the chance came along I decided to do it passionately,” he noted.

Though having spent much of his time working as a General Service Unit (GSU) officer, he doesn’t regret it as he still benefits from the lessons he learned during that period.

“Many times am consulted for security strategic plans by organizations and individuals,” he uttered.

Back home, he went back to media by practicing digital media until he landed a job at K24 in 2021.

“In 2020, when Covid-19 hit the country, I found myself locked and that's where the idea of launching a news website came along.

K24 Journalist Ibrahim Kimani Muhoro and  CEO of Africa Uncensored, Journalist Allan Namu during a Facts-Checking Mission in Lamu County on February 11, 2022
K24 Journalist Ibrahim Kimani Muhoro and CEO of Africa Uncensored, Journalist Allan Namu during a Facts-Checking Mission in Lamu County on February 11, 2022
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Ibrahim Kimani

It is from that media outlet that fuelled me to win a deal with Mediamax where I work for K24, Kameme TV  and People Daily Newspaper,” he explained.

Kimani also tried a hand in politics when he vied for Member of the County Assembly for Bahari Ward in Mpeketoni during the 2017 elections but was not lucky to win.

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