KTN 1997-98
My first job after graduating college was as a marketing assistant for an outdoor advertising firm TONY DISPLAYS. I actually landed the job almost by chance. I tarmacked(was jobless) for almost 2 months and in July 1996 a friend called Tony from ICC church told me of a friend Dylan whom he did for artwork. He informed me that Dylan was looking for a marketing executive. The company was based in Bunyala Road off Baricho in Industrial area. I arrived on Monday morning dressed in a tie and blazer bought from Kikomba. But the most memorable piece of my ensemble is my briefcase. I had a redish brown briefcase that I procured in India in preparation for the tarmacking. Dylan was indeed amused...
I got the job anyway. The deal was i find companies that wanted to have signs made. it paid 5% comission and that was it. With my cheap wardrobe, I must not have made a great impression on the sleek company executives. To make it worse I had to traverse the vast dusty industrial area on foot, carrying sample advertisement material. Most of the times hungry. I cant blame the executives. My break came 5 months down the road. Dylan was prepairing to sack me, well he had actually informed me that it was not working despite my good intentions... And that indeed that was to be my last day. A dark day indeed. With this job, i had somewhere to go, to escape the dreary grey looking buildings in Dandora. Here i could escape into the fantasy world of the executives I discussed with daily. In particular, the marketing crew at Haco industries had taken to me. They gave me the break.
Landing in the evening of my sack, they proceeded to make an order of golf promotional material for an event scheduled 2 days after that. Only our company then could handle this at a short notice. However overtime had to be called for, which meant that we had to charge them for this. They didnt like this. I begged Dylan to consent to not charge them overtime. He agreed, we completed the order and I made my one and only visit to Sigona golf club to date. I was impressed out of this world....
After this contract, funny enough i was busy after that.. But I didnt see a future in advertising so when KTN came calling with an offer for a business reporter in Jan 1997, I didnt think twice. The only problem was Dylan was extremely mad... Made this and that threat but in the end he saw my point that I was really hungry to make something of myself...
Highlights in KTN
Saba saba riots in 1997.. Being teargassed in kamukunji and Kikomba area...
Working the morning news shift, being collected from Dandora at 3 am. The dangers that God saw us through...
The major sack of the staff after the saba saba media coverage during the dark days of media censorship in the Moi era... never seen anything like it. I remember my colleagues, Vitalis Musebe, Isaiya Kabira, Mercy Oburu, Christine Nguku, Solomon Mugera, The late David Mageria(achiever), Linus Kai Kai, Farida Karoney, Henry Marete, Bwana D, Topi Lyambila, Mutali, list is endless....
Even though i enjoyed my time in KTN, I was not cut for journalism and I was happy to leave only after a year!
I got the job anyway. The deal was i find companies that wanted to have signs made. it paid 5% comission and that was it. With my cheap wardrobe, I must not have made a great impression on the sleek company executives. To make it worse I had to traverse the vast dusty industrial area on foot, carrying sample advertisement material. Most of the times hungry. I cant blame the executives. My break came 5 months down the road. Dylan was prepairing to sack me, well he had actually informed me that it was not working despite my good intentions... And that indeed that was to be my last day. A dark day indeed. With this job, i had somewhere to go, to escape the dreary grey looking buildings in Dandora. Here i could escape into the fantasy world of the executives I discussed with daily. In particular, the marketing crew at Haco industries had taken to me. They gave me the break.
Landing in the evening of my sack, they proceeded to make an order of golf promotional material for an event scheduled 2 days after that. Only our company then could handle this at a short notice. However overtime had to be called for, which meant that we had to charge them for this. They didnt like this. I begged Dylan to consent to not charge them overtime. He agreed, we completed the order and I made my one and only visit to Sigona golf club to date. I was impressed out of this world....
After this contract, funny enough i was busy after that.. But I didnt see a future in advertising so when KTN came calling with an offer for a business reporter in Jan 1997, I didnt think twice. The only problem was Dylan was extremely mad... Made this and that threat but in the end he saw my point that I was really hungry to make something of myself...
Highlights in KTN
Saba saba riots in 1997.. Being teargassed in kamukunji and Kikomba area...
Working the morning news shift, being collected from Dandora at 3 am. The dangers that God saw us through...
The major sack of the staff after the saba saba media coverage during the dark days of media censorship in the Moi era... never seen anything like it. I remember my colleagues, Vitalis Musebe, Isaiya Kabira, Mercy Oburu, Christine Nguku, Solomon Mugera, The late David Mageria(achiever), Linus Kai Kai, Farida Karoney, Henry Marete, Bwana D, Topi Lyambila, Mutali, list is endless....
Even though i enjoyed my time in KTN, I was not cut for journalism and I was happy to leave only after a year!
posted by Stanley Ngaira at 12:57 PM
1 Comments:
hahahaha. taken me back a while. was in KTN much earlier on. When KTN was KTN. Harvest Restaurant next to White Rose drycleaners, Kasav, Robert Ochieng, Mercy Oburu, Mutali, Isaiah Kabira, Alex Kobia, Joseph Warungu, Lydiah Manyasi (used toi call her magrass!), Godfrey Mavisi, Gedion Muoka, Joe Musundi, Matthew Mutua OMG.... et al. I loved those times. Much money, Much fame....stay in touch baba. http://abantu.blogspot.com. wexbikokwa@gmail.com
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