Big win for NMG as Willis Raburu joins NTV

Citizen TV news anchor Willis Raburu has quit the station and is set to join NTV. Raburu, who also hosted the Powerbreakfast and 10 over 10 shows, becomes the latest recruit for Nation Media Group, which is seeking to bolster its ranks following unprecedented raids by Royal Media Services.

The Bachelor of Information Science- Media graduate from Moi University was poised to join NMG about one year ago but Managing Director Wachira Waruru countered the move by offering him a bigger salary. At Nation Centre, he is set to join Salim Swaleh who resigned about three weeks ago.

Raburu started his media career as an intern at  K24 while in third year at the university and was hired by Citizen TV in October 2010 when he was 24 years.

“When I was 24 and I got hired by Citizen Television straight out of campus – that was a very pivotal point in my life. Many did not believe that one can get employed at a reputable organisation without having ‘key’ connections. The job came at a time when I had been turned down by other local TV stations – they told me I did not have the right type of voice for broadcast,” he said in a previous interview.

Raburu’s capture is a big score for NTV, which has lost several star staffers to Citizen TV including editor Pamela Asigi and news anchors Jamila Mohamed, Victoria Rubadiri and Nimrod Taabu while Larry Madowo also left for BBC when he is the Africa Business Editor.

It is rumuored SK Macharia, who has also severally raided KTN, plans to unveil a 24-house news channel.

READ: NMG APOLOGISES OVER RUTO, ‘RAI’ PHOTO

NMG has also rehired Ken Muriithi, who had left to join the Tharaka Nithi county government as director of communications. It has also poached more presenters from KBC and Ebru TV.

Meanwhile, former Ebru TV presented Kamene Goro has joined NRG Radio as a morning breakfast presenter starting Wednesday, July 4.