Royal Media Services broadcaster of more than 18 years on Ramogi Radio Josephine Achieng’ Sirega broke down on her last day on air as she resigned to join elective politics.
Sirega (pictured above) said in her last broadcast on the station on Saturday morning of March 5 that she will be vying for woman representative position in Migori County.
Known among fans as ‘Mayor’ or Nyanding’o, she is one of the broadcasters that have been with Ramogi Radio since its launch in 2004. Ramogi is one of the leading vernacular radio stations owned by billionaire SK Macharia’s Royal Media Services (RMS).
Throughout her programme on the last day, Sirega announced that she would be leaving the radio station to “embark on something else after 18 years at Ramogi”.
She sounded emotional and some fans demanded to know where she was headed, prompting her to reveal her next move.
“I am joining politics to become the woman representative of Migori County. I am married in Migori,” she unburdened as a barrage of goodwill messages forced her to quell listeners, saying she was not allowed to campaign on air.
However, this jolted the rest of the programme well known as ‘Duond Mine’ — Dholuo for ‘Voice of Women’ — that discusses subjects such as reproductive health, women in politics, child safety, girl-child education, and marriage.
At Ramogi, she will be following in the footsteps of the late Migori Senator Ben Oluoch Okello,a veteran broadcaster who started his career at the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC), a State media house.
Oluoch, well known as Wuod Nyarongo (Son of Nyarongo), had a larger than life profile that gave him an upper hand in his political quest on Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) ticket.
Sirega’s step will leave Migori as one of the counties that have produced many journalists joining politics. Apart from Okello, Dennitah Ghati, the first Migori Woman representative, is a trained journalist.
A few minutes to ending her last broadcast before she ventures into the world of fast-paced politics, Sirega did the ritual of thanking the RMS top brass, including SK, the chairman of RMS, Fred Afune, the head of programmes, Charles Odhiambo, a cluster manager, head of Ramogi Radio Victor Otieno Juma (VoJ), and fellow broadcasters.
That is when she stopped abruptly but her colleague Lydia Akoth later apologised on her behalf, saying “Josephine became emotional,” probably revealing her love for the job, attachment with her listeners, and nostalgia.
Well known for her interviews on special programmes, Sirega a few years ago started reading news, one of the most challenging tasks — especially combining it with entertainment — for most broadcasters.
Migori County is represented by Pamela Odhiambo as woman rep but she has shown interest in becoming governor, seeking to replace Zachary Okoth Obado, who is serving his last term.
Another Ramogi Radio broadcaster joining the 2022 elective politics is George Otieno — an entertainer who leaves his listeners in stitches — whose studio name is Ajoo Mbuta.
Mbuta is eyeing the MP seat of Kasipul Constituency where he will be gunning for ODM nomination, hoping to unseat Charles Ong’ondo Were.
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