Kennedy Murithi: I’m yet to make any major career accomplishment I’m proud of

NTV senior political reporter Kennedy Murithi is another gem from Nairobi's Eastlands.

In a recent interview with Nation.Africa, the father of three boys and one girl opened up about his childhood, career and plans.

"My father was a police officer until 2020, when he retired, so I spent most of my childhood in police quarters and only moved out when he was promoted to a senior rank in 2000," he said.

As children, Murithi and his siblings lacked nothing.

"My childhood was good; there was nothing that I ever asked from my parents that I did not get. It might not have been the Runda kind of life, but I had everything," he added.

Having a police officer for a father did not hold him back from being a ‘boy’. One day he took his love of wrestling to school and beat up a classmate, who ended up fainting.

"I loved wrestling. I was punished for a whole day. I knelt outside the principal's office. If that was not enough, I got a thorough beating from my father and almost slept in jail. That was the last day fighting ever crossed my mind," Murithi said.

Boarding school

He went to Dr Kraft Primary School in Maringo before transferring to a boarding school in Meru and later joining Utumishi Academy in Gilgil.

"Growing up, I wanted to be a lawyer, but when I was in high school, I realised my grades were not good enough for law. I started working towards becoming a journalist," he said.

He found himself spending more time in the library. He admits that his love of the library grew more because of the beautiful female teacher in charge of it.

“By the time I was in Form Two, I had started developing a serious love of journalism. I would go to the library and read newspapers,” he said.

That led him to Masinde Muliro University to study for a degree in journalism and mass communication.

"In my first year, I had already secured an internship in a media house and on the day I finished my fourth-year exams, I received a call from Nation Media Group and they gave me a job,” he said.

Major accomplishments

Murithi says he has not yet made any major accomplishments in his career that he is proud of.

His ultimate goal is to interview President Uhuru Kenyatta before the end of his term in 2022.

"I set a very high target for myself, and I have not yet achieved what I want to do. My great achievement would be interviewing the President,” he added.

“I have already done other interviews, but if the President reads this, give me an interview, and I promise it will be the talk of the town."

Murithi has reported political stories since day one, but in 2014, he became a news item on all TV stations, in newspapers and on blogs after Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka shut him down during an interview with the infamous phrase, "Your name betrays you".

Murithi says the incident boosted his brand and made him one of the most recognisable names in Kenya’s news media.

"People knew immediately who Murithi was, and I instantly gained 2,000 followers on Twitter," he said.

Murithi describes himself as a workaholic even though he loves spending time with his family and friends when he is off duty.

Few friends

"My perfect Saturday is taking my beer with a few friends on my balcony with nyama choma while listening to music as the children play football around where I can see them," he added.

Apart from being a political reporter, Murithi is a food taster at his wife's restaurant, DeeDee's Kitchen.

The restaurant started just before the Covid-19 pandemic hit Kenya. After eateries were closed to curb the spread of the virus, DeeDee’s delivered meals to offices.

Asked about his celebrity crush, Murithi said he drools over Gabrielle Union, the Haitian-American actress.

And in Kenya, could he be crushing on singer and actress Sanaipei Tande?

"Let's not mention a Kenyan; this will bring trouble," he said, laughing before adding, "There is a programme my wife watches every day. One of the star characters there is my celebrity crush. She has never known why I watch it with her but there you go."