Award-winning investigative journalist, John-Allan Namu revealed how much he earned while working as an anchor at KTN and NTV.
Speaking during an interview on the Financially Incorrect show on Friday, August 11, Namu stated that his first salary as a KTN reporter ranged at around Ksh35,000 in 2005.
He intimated that the figure rose over the years to Ksh160,000 when he left for Nation Media Group's NTV in 2010.
Namu added that Nation Media offered him a starting salary of Ksh245,000 as a features editor and reporter.
"I was getting married and we had a child with another on the way. That money made sense and that was part of the reason why I left. I stayed there (Nation) for two to three years and got one salary raise and a bonus," he explained.
After his stint at NTV lapsed, the journalist indicated that he went back to his former workstation, Standard Media Group's KTN, where he earned close to Ksh400,000.
Namu also received a clothing allowance of Ksh100,000 as an incentive for anchoring news.
"That really helped me to save more, and with the types of schools that I enrolled my children at. It did change how I lived," Namu, famous for airing the Inside Story (Jicho Pevu) investigative series, stated.
Namu attributed the salary raises to his adeptness in cultivating value, both in his skillset and brand, commitment to consistently taking up extra roles even when working as an intern.
He was also zealous, dedicated to his duties and had a strong work ethic. Namu cited instances when he would stay in the office for longer hours to practice his storytelling craft.
The renowned anchor also did more relevant courses later in his career to enhance his comprehension of topics centred around financial investigations.
Namu quit the mainstream media and co-founded African Uncensored, an independent and investigative media house set up by Kenya's finest investigative journalists.
Among its exposé are the Pandora Box investigations, Indebted: Kenya’s Journey to a Debt Crisis and Pressed Freedom: The State of Media in Kenya.
Other than the media house, Namu also earns from trainings and emceeing at events.
Biggest Financial Regret
In the interview, Namu expressed regret for spending Ksh1.5 million on his wedding in 2010.
He explained that he planned for a small event of about 200 guests but ended up having over 600.
"Our (with his wife) cap was 250 people, and the list just kept growing and growing. We were told to sit in a corner and wait for the budget. If there is one big regret I have, it is caving into that pressure. That money would have done so much.
"I took a loan to pay for part of the budget. My wife had to sell her car, and we used our savings," the award-winning journalist divulged.
