Waweru Mburu, the veteran Radio Citizen broadcaster, has passed on. Mr Mburu died on Wednesday evening after a long battle with gastric cancer. Royal Media Service Ltd Chairman Dr SK Macharia, Vice Chair Mrs Gathoni Macharia and Group Managing Director Wachira Waruru condoled with the family terming Mburu’s death as a blow to Royal Media Services and the media industry.
Mburu, Head of Radio Citizen at Royal Media Services, passed on at MP Shah Hospital in Nairobi while undergoing treatment. Mburu was famous for the Yaliyotendeka show on Citizen Radio, with his highly accented signature tone that kept listeners craving for more. The radio personality’s programme dealt with socio- and geo-political issues, and was popular across audiences. The 15-minute show ran on weekdays at 8pm, with repeats the following morning at 6.45am.
It is said he had been flown to India for treatment but returned and was booked at MP Shah Hospital. Mburu had recently declared his bid to vie for Maragua Constituency MP seat.
Until his death, Mburu had served Royal Media Services for many years and was among pioneers in radio commentary. Mburu went to Emusire Boys High School in Kakamega and later proceeded to University of Nairobi where he studied Development Communication.
The veteran journalist formerly taught Kiswahili before joining the media. Friends and fans mourned Mburu with many describing him as a voice for the voiceless. He never shied from touching on raw nerves or stepping on some toes, tearing into the high and mighty and admonishing the morally corrupt in equal measure.
He opened a new genre in radio programming that has yet to get a match in the local radio industry. Radio commentary is yet to catch on in Kenya, with most stations choosing to focus on news and features as commentary usually needs great grasp of issues and language and is often prone to libel, something most media houses avoid.
Listen to him here…
[crp]
