By Prudence Minayo
Hassan Jumaa is a renowned Kenyan Sports news presenter and producer who has spent most of his career on the oldest privately owned media house-the Kenya Television Network (KTN).
His story is one that helps many realize that their past is not a defining factor for their future. The media personality’s parents died when he was still young and relatives mistreated him forcing the journalist and his siblings to seek refuge at a children’s home. He worked hard, got an education and was able to join the Standard Media Group. However, getting into mainstream media was not easy as he had no one to help put him through. Nonetheless, out of more than two thousand people that showed up to be interviewed for the KTN employment opportunity only seven made it and he was one of them.
The senior editors did not like him that much when he joined the station. With time, they learnt to appreciate him and how he pronounced his name which even some viewers think he does with too much flourish. However, he once said that is how the people from his community pronounce his name, therefore, it was not an exaggeration.
Today, he has grown to become a household name known for his sports presenting skills.
Age
He was born on 10th October 1980 in Golini, Mombasa county and he is a member of the Mijikenda community.
Education
Hassan started his education at Bamburi Primary School in Mombasa before moving to Herman Germaine Primary School in Eldoret where he sat for his Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) in 1994. He was able to secure a chance at Mother of Apostles Secondary School in Eldoret. After this, he proceeded to the United States International University (USIU) where he got a degree in Mass Communication and International Relations. His journalism skills grew while he was in the university.
Career
The USIU graduate’s love for sports started a long time ago and it is no wonder he is such a great sports presenter. He played football while in high school and continued the same after joining the USIU where he played for the school’s team.
In 2006, he joined the Standard Media Group and worked at KTN as an intern before being fully employed by the company as a Swahili sports news presenter. Jumaa then rose to become a sports producer as well as the deputy editor at KTN. He produced two successful sports shows: Zilizala Viwanjani and Utesi Ugani.
In 2014, he successfully covered the 2014 FIFA world cup in Brazil.
Awards
In 2009 he was the second runners up for the best TV sports journalist of the year at the KPL FOYA Awards.
In 2010, he won the best TV sports journalist of the year at the KPL FOYA Awards. He told Mchezo Africa how fortunate and honored he was to win the award.
“ I felt and still feel honored to be named the best in the country where there are so many other respectable sports journalists. It made me feel appreciated by my viewers not just as Hassan Jumaa but as a brand, bearing in mind that I have only been in the industry for three years,” he said.
Relationship
In 2016, he proposed to his girlfriend Eva Buya whom he had been seeing for a while. He posted the photo of her wearing the ring on Instagram with the caption ‘She said YES!!!”
