By Faith Nyambeki
Street philosophers have it that God cannot give you brains and beauty. He will either give you beauty and reserve brains for the not so good looking folks like yours truly. This, the argument goes, is to level the playing field for all. Radio presenter Ann Njogu, however, seems to be an exception to this long held notion. She’s a combination of talent, beauty and brains. The ease with which she engages her audience, how she handles matters of the heart and a host of other trending issues have made her one of the best radio presenters in Kenya. Here is what this writer was able to gather about Ann.
Early Childhood
Her childhood was pretty much normal. The award winning radio journalist was born in Thika and raised in Nakuru. In an interview with SDE William Osoro, she said that she was the responsible God fearing firstborn. She never got into trouble with anyone. Ann Njogu’s family was tight knit. Her father would take them shopping at the end of the month when he received his salary. The journalist reveals a side of her late mother that seems to have rubbed on her. She told Osoro how her mother was an arbiter when conflict in their compound erupted. Ann’s mom was called to mediate and restore parity.
Age
The radio presenter was born on 29 April. Information on the year of birth is not available with us.
Children/Family
Toto wa mama-as she is popularly known- has two sons. She is among the very few celebrities who have opted to keep their families from social media platforms. Little is known about her husband and she likes it that way. Asked by Osoro why she doesn’t share anything regarding her family on social media, she responded:
I keep my family off social media. I don’t see why I should share my children on social media. But you can find my work on social media.
In the same interview she admitted that juggling between motherhood and career is no walk in the park:
……when you get children, you don’t sleep well most of the time while at the same time you’re a career woman.
Joining Radio Maisha
Her mastery in Swahili coupled with grasp of topical issues have made Radio Maisha’s ‘Staarabika’ one of the most listened to shows in Kenya. While her entry into the highly competitive media world is not well documented, the award winning journalist has had her fair share of stereotyping common with Kenyans. She recalls a time just after joining the station a guy asking her:
‘wewe mwanamke kutoka Central Kenya unaongea Kiswahili? Inafaa uende sokoni uuze nyanya.’
Ann teams up with Babu Wakasiaka who is the voice of reason and ‘this is Gathoni’ whose view on issues is more from a youth perspective. The show is on air from Monday to Friday at 10am-12pm.
Member of Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIA)
The beauty uses her golden voice to empower women by educating them on their basic rights. She is a member of the CIA.
