ZAIN VERJEE: Living the impossible dream

What brings you to Kenya?

Christmas. I’ll be spending it in Lake Nakuru with my parents and brother. I actually visit quite often. Three to four times a year to be precise.

Did you bring along your family on this trip?

I’m still working on that. Soon. Haha.

Tell us a little about your Kenyan upbringing

I went to Westlands kindergarten before joining Hillcrest School. Our parents exposed us to various cultures so I interacted with a diverse range of people growing up. I experienced Kenyan culture, interacted with a lot of Indians and Muslims in my neighbourhood as well as British influences through my schooling. I was also very much into sports. I even represented Nairobi in hockey once.

When did you develop an interest in media?

I actually sort of stumbled on to it. I came to Kenya to gather data for my college thesis and my dad suggested I volunteer at Capital FM which was a new station at the time. He knew Micky Cardovillis who was in charge of the station at the time so he took me in to read traffic news. I had no radio experience then but it was more fun than challenging for me. Besides, I had the likes of John Wilkins, Phill Mathews and Linda Holt who groomed me. It was an interesting learning curve for me.

How did you end up on TV?

Initially KBC was the only television station in the country so when KTN entered the market there weren’t that many trained or experienced media practitioners in the market. I was called up to read prime time news which was very scary for me since I was only 23. It was also pretty exciting though and gave me quite the adrenalin rush. I owe a lot to Njoroge Mwaura and Catherine Kasavuli who taught me everything I needed to know at the time.

The CNN approached you…

Well, not really. I sent them a tape with a story I had done but they ignored it at first. Then I met someone who knew someone who knew someone who worked at CNN and gave them my tape which they sent to a lady called Rena Golden at the Atlanta bureau. I had also done some freelance work for BBC radio so I hoped they would give me the job but she wasn’t exactly sold on the idea mostly because I only had about six to eight months of experience in the media. She believed my skills would be more suited in the world of academia.

How did you finally land the job?

I kept pestering her with emails then one day I told her I was going to travel to her office in the US so she could interview me. She of course refused. She told me to go if I wanted but it would be a waste of time because she wouldn’t hire me. I went anyway.

When I got there I did a screen test and a quiz after which she told me she was going to hire me on the spot. She said I had shown real persistence which was what she was looking for in a journalist. She also said I had raw talent so they started me off as a writer so I could learn the ropes.

You were excited of course...

I was elated. My parents always encouraged my brother and I to ‘dream the impossible dream’ and so I’ve always had a fearless approach to things. I’m glad it paid off.

You eventually took up Riz Khan’s segment on CNN. How did you manage to fill such big shoes?

It was intimidating at first but I knew I could either sink or swim so I gave it the best shot I could. Riz is a really talented individual so I had to dig deep to bring out the best in me.

The guys at CNN were also very supportive during those initial stages. Although I had lived in Canada during my years in college, I knew no one in the US and I was always getting lost and confused. I was quite lonely and I would call my parents and cry a lot but with time I got the hang of it.

Then there was the time you accidentally uttered the male genitals instead of the word ‘peanuts’ on air…

Haha. I just pretended no one heard that. After the show no one said anything then I walked into the newsroom and everyone burst into laughter. People randomly begun offering me peanuts after that. I kept a good sense about it though. And it got some crazy hits on Youtube too.

Fifteen years later, what is your take on the Kenyan media today?

It has grown a lot. There’s more and better media outlets, which means more competition thus better coverage. It’s also a lot more dynamic today with all the investigative pieces, talk shows, tabloids and such. None of these existed in 1998 when I left. While I hardly get to meticulously follow any specific items, I’m pleased with the finesse and the approaches in Kenyan media every time I skim through.

Given the chance would you come back to work in Kenya?

Definitely. But I would do so in a different capacity. I can’t be on TV reading the news but I would like to play a behind the scenes role where I can employ the experience I have gathered over the years to train younger journalists. I believe in that capacity I can have a bigger impact and help raise the quality of Kenyan media even higher.

You’ve also written a book?

Yes. My first book “Live & On the Air” is about a young girl from the village, Nekesa, trying to make it as a journalist in Nairobi. I’m currently working on my next book which is a murder mystery set in Kenya involving a fictional character called Lucy Onyango. Part of the reason I’m in the country is to do some research on it, which is why one of my first stops was the Ngong Racecourse which features prominently in the book. I’m currently working on the second draft.

What immediate plans do you have for your career?

I want to have a successful writing career. I hope to tell a different story of Kenya through fiction and in the process contribute towards child literacy on the continent.