Former Taita Taveta Governor Granton Samboja has made a comeback on radio as a pastor and motivational speaker after losing the 2022 General Election.
The former governor, who was a radio presenter before venturing into politics, has been sharing live sessions of his show on Anguo FM.
"Hii ni Anguo Fm saa kumi kasoro dakika nane, jina langu ni Granton Samboja Mshapa mwenyewe (This is Anguo FM, at 3.52 pm, my name is Granton Samboja Mshapa)," the former politician signed off on one of the shows on Sunday, July 16.
In addition to the live studio sessions, Samboja embarked on tours across the county to connect with his audience and followers.
Samboja began his career as a journalist at Royal Media Services (RMS) after completing his studies at the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication (KIMC).
While at RMS, Samboja helped establish Radio Citizen before he joined Milele FM, owned by Mediamax Limited.
The former governor also worked at Mediamax as the Chief Operating Officer in 2013, succeeding Paul Wanyaga.
Residents of Taita Taveta warmly welcomed Samboja's return to the airwaves, praising his insightful summons and interpretation of the Bible.
"I feel blessed when you are ministering. You are truly a blessing. Keep up the good work," one listener responded on his live shows.
Political Career
In the 2017 General Election, Samboja successfully ran for the Taita Taveta governor seat on a Wiper Party ticket, defeating John Mruttu, one of his closest opponents.
His term was marred with discord and wrangles with Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) over Ksh830 million the latter allocated themselves through the Ward Development Fund.
Samboja signed a memorandum to dissolve the devolved unit over the budget impasse and even reached out to former President Uhuru Kenyatta to intervene.
In 2022, he sought a second term with a Jubilee party ticked but lost to Andrew Mwadime, an independent candidate. Mwadime defeated Samboja with 49,901 votes.
The Taita Taveta gubernatorial seat attracted 13 candidates, including Dan Mwanzo, George Mwandembo, and Patience Nyange.
