Stephen Jacob Maunda, popularly known as Shatta Bway, is a popular show host who has worked with Royal Media Services for five years. He has built an enviable fanbase and it came as no surprise when he was poached by the fast growing Cape Media that owns TV47 and Radio 47.
Here is his story as told by WoK,
Background and Education
The media personality was born in a polygamous family. His mother had nine children and he was the 8th born.
Their father was a popular media personality known as Jacob William Maunda. He worked for various stations including Voice of Kenya and Musyi FM.
Stephen started his education in Nairobi before the family relocated to the village where they attended school. He completed high school at Darajani Secondary School in Kibwezi.
While their father was a popular media personality, the family lived in dilapidated conditions. They did not have electricity and could not even afford to buy kerosene.
His mother would light a fire so he would be able to do his homework. To worsen the situation, teachers knew his father, and always assumed he had everything yet he was not working hard. This made him hate fame and he never aspired to be a well-known individual.
Touting
After high school, he was unable to join college immediately because of school fees. He started selling handbags before becoming a barber and finally a tout at the busy country bus.
With the money he got from touting, he enrolled for a journalism course and eventually started performing in theatre. He also got voice over gigs which paid him enough to sustain him.
People used to tell him he had a nice radio voice and this is what did as a demo and sent it to a producer at Radio Citizen. He forgot about it.
Joining Radio Citizen and Cape Media
He then landed a job creating scripts for Viusasa when the platform was still new. When this job ended, he started making chips in Donholm.
Three years after sending the demo, he received a call from Radio Citizen and was offered a job. He became the host of the popular radio Citizen show called Waks Tiki Taka.
He worked for the station for about five years and even joined 10/10 on Citizen TV. A week ago, he announced his exit from Royal Media Services saying he needed to find a job that would enable him to spend more time with his children.
Days after leaving Radio Citizen, it was announced that he is joining Cape Media’s TV47 where he was appointed as the Director of Projects and Strategy at Maybet, which the media organization runs.
“Shatta Bway joins Cape Media Limited; he will be the Director of Projects and Strategy for Maybets as well as TV47 and Radio47 host,” read a statement by the station.
Family
The 33-year-old is a widower having lost his wife Rebecca Lekuton last year. He is currently raising his two kids and has no plans of remarrying in the immediate future.
