“From Business and Economics student to top NTV news anchor,” Dann Mwangi tells his story

Majority will get to hear your story after hitting fame but very few know what it was like before the fame.

Young professionals are driving the local media industry today, with majority standing as role models but what is their story?

NTV Digital and Innovation Editor, Dann Mwangi got to tell his story and how he rose to become among the most respected media personalities in the country.

Also read: Ex-NTV journalist Lolani Kalu bags new lucrative TV job

In an exclusive with NTV on Wednesday 11, Dann, a lover of poet and a staunch Christian was born in Eastlands to a family of 3 children.

His big-break at NTV

In his early youth years having sharpened his skill at poetry, he crossed paths with one teenage girl, Julie, who was an upcoming poet and who he would occasionally help out and attend events with.

Dann Mwangi in his youthful years

Julie, a 22 year-old girl who rose to fame after writing the victory speech for President Uhuru Kenyatta in March 2013.

Dann at the time was pursuing his BA Business and Economics at KU and Julies dad would occasionally accompany her to the night events.

Julie Wang’ombe is the daughter to former NMG CEO Linus Gitahi, who Dann casually invited to his graduation’s thanksgiving ceremony but did not make it that day.

Ms Julie Wang’ombe

But Mr Gitahi instead offered him a place at NMG Graduate Trainee class, go through media training and eventually get released into the market.

“I had no idea what it was about, but he connected me to the HR. The HR Director called me few days later and I was taken into Media Lab,” Dann recalls.

They realized he would be a great writer, he just needed a bit of polish and training and that was it.

Husband and journalist, Dann Mwangi

“I wanted to produce TV shows but the HR told me ‘No’. So I was posted to the TV reporting desk and 3 months later to the business desk,” the 35-year old told his story.

The rest was history.

Have a listen;

4 Kenyan TV news anchors who are also involved in the music industry (Videos)

Many have talents but the professional path does not always correspond with one´s in-born talents and skills. More often that not, individuals draw a line between their professional life and their side gigs if I´d put it so.

Unfortunately, we hardly get to realize what someone is gifted in until it blows in our faces. It turns out that a couple of Kenyan TV news anchors are also music artistes and producers, away from the screens.

We don´t need to go far. Check out the list below:

1. Dann Mwangi

Dann has been introduced to us as a business anchor and reporter at NTV. One who puts on a serious face and for you to spot him smiling or laughing, you must have worked your muscles out.

Husband and journalist, Dann Mwangi

However, away from the screens, the NTV journalist is also know as ´Number 8, the Poet´ for his skill in Spoken Word.

Dann is actively involved in the gospel industry, a passion he grew ever since his campus days at Kenyatta University where he rapped with Nairobi Senator John Sakaja which saw them become members of Mission Driven group.

In 2011, the journalist-cum-rapper produced a spoken word piece dubbed Flush It, regards the common culture among people to engage in casual s*x. In 2016, the group produced a beatbox cover of urban gospel songs. Listen:

2. Lofty Matambo & Fridah Mwaka

The two media professionals affiliated with KTN News are apparently gospel artistes.

Fridah Mwaka´s stage name is ´Kichuna cha Mwaka´ and Lofty goes by the nick name ´Mtoto wa Mfalme´ doubling up as a presenter of Sunday show dubbed Shangwe on Radio Maisha from 6am to 11 am.

Husband and journalist, Lofty Matambo

The Kiswahili Prime Time news anchors surprised Kenyans with their release dubbed Weh Corona on Tuesday, June 2. A song whose title speaks for itself and one under gifted Kenyan producer, Saint P.

Funny enough, the two revealed they had thought about it while in the newsroom, before reaching an agreement and later approaching the producer.

Wife and journalist, Fridah Mwaka

All in a bid to create emphasis to Kenyans on the importance of observing stipulated Covid-19 measures as per the Government´s directives. Mwaka expressed:

We are both gospel artistes and we thought, why not have a corona song? We visited Saint P who owns a studio-Sasa Muziki and shared the idea with him. It was a done deal and we started writing the song. I put my verse in Giriama because the three of us come from the coast.

Here is the Kiswahili tune.

4. Lilian Muli

The Citizen TV sensation has severally appeared in music videos as a vixen, with the most recent being a Kamba gospel track dubbed Kyaa Kya Ngai loosely translated as ´What belongs to God belongs to him´.

Husband and journalist, Dann Mwangi
Wife, mother and journalist, Lilian Muli

A song done by local artist Kasolo and a music video where the TV girl appears for a couple of seconds on numerous occasions, dancing and lip syncing to the song´s lyrics.

Check out the Kamba melody released on Feb 15, 2019.