It Takes Courage to Work as a Journalist

When I took up the challenge, I was prepared for the dire consequence. The pain of being a journalist in Uganda haunted me since I actively joined the journalism network in East Africa. Strict house rules embraced me and I agree I loved them. That was the Felix Kilonzo you knew. Felix was so versatile and spoke his mind just to articulate the point in the many possible ways.
I rewind you back to 2007, back in Machakos School when I led the Broadcast Journalism Club under the patronage of Ms Wavinya Kakui. In 2008, I led several people into the online blogging and in 2010, where I joined hands with fellow comrades to champion for the rejection of the new constitution.
I remember the likes of Larry Madowo were so new in the industry and gave me maiden advice in the field of journalism. I didn’t have a future. I hanged in the balance and  envied the few journalists in the field and therefore I ended up enrolling for the same course in Mount Kenya University. I remember the likes of Gilbert Munyaka, former Sky News camera man. He gave me an advice that I should forever remain focused to the goal. He was correct.

I remember Larry Madowo’s Advice that if I jetted in to the humble fields of journalism because of money I, then, I better try elsewhere. Larry too was correct. We are famous. Famous that your life is never yours, its for the public. But we are guided by the zeal to let you know first before others spread propaganda.
Several Human rights organisation were up in arms against me for my straight forward criticism and I remember a minority group had planned to terminate my education on the grounds that I did not respect them in one way or another.
I was forced to delete my official facebook fan page which had 1200 likes simply because I was coming too fast. Today I am yet to pick up from the ruins that came about after the 2010 constitution that I campaigned and even voted against.
In January to May this year, I worked in the field I love the most, Politics and analysis. I got an intern that I strictly set it at one and half months due to the costs that come with the job. I was hired by the start of March and worked for two months hence being forced by circumstances that am held by the employment ethics not to disclose.
Felix Kilonzo takes a break from active journalistic roles for sometimes and would resume in full force at the start of 2014.  However, to my Ugandan fans, stay turned to my unbiased analysis of African Democracy on my official facebook fan page or my blog  where we shall share more encouraging stories to continue fight for free space for majority democracy and real respect for fundamental human rights that have been for a long time been breached by egocentric partisan ideology and criminalism.
Remember my motto still remains to be See. Think. Act and therefore as among the very rare generation of journalists, advocacy for clear change still remains to be my major and I assure you it takes two to tangle.
Am retreating to my personal business as I prepare either to venture into local media industry or join Politics.
God Bless you. God Bless Uganda. God Bless East Africa.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why We Need Advocacy Journalism in Africa

Image
                                                                                                   Tweet When one mentions the term journalism, some wonder what that actually means. Is it the content that makes you a journalist? Is it your take on the contemporary issues that guarantees you to be referred to as ‘Journalist’? Well I refresh my mind back in 2006. By then I was in Form 2 in Machakos school, I bet it is still the best school in Eastern Province. The politics, constitutionalism and regional integration filled the air… as a young man of 16 years I could not make out what that actually meant for us, and by the ‘us’ I mean the so-called future leaders. Felix Kilonzo- Mku studios I dropped the idea of pursuing the Bio-Che...
Read more

Uhuru Kenyatta Cant Implement Land Reforms

Image
President Kenyatta Due to public demand, Felix Kilonzo will for the first time break the silence over the TJRC report that was released by the commission to unmask the historical injustices that has affected the country since 1963. Although my silence adversely comes about due to the report’s sensitivity and its tall orders and revisiting what I call the land reforms which I term as a mere joke of our time. The report in paragraph 199 says “During Kenyatta’s administration at independence and for several years thereafter, illegal dealings in land which left many individuals, families and communities landless and land-scarce took many forms.” The intro to the land alienation that existed after the independence that my grandparents fought for indiscriminately was confirmed that the 90% of Kenya is managed by 5% of Kenyans and not through transparent forms but through ill gotten wealth and abuse of office. The report says, “They [Kenyatta administration] included outright land...
Read more

Parties have hard options as parties in CORD have 1 day to go

Parties within the coalition on reforms and democracy and those affiliated to the Jubilee coalitions are expected to conduct the primaries on Thursday in compliance with the parties act. In the lower eastern province Wiper Democratic Movement allied politicians have intensified their own campaigns to woo party members to vote for them in the coming party nomination. In Machakos Town in Machakos County, the gubernatorial position has attracted 2 major candidates who are former government officials. Former Water Minister, Mutua Katuku will face it off with former government spokesman Dr. Alfred Mutua in the wiper democratic movement. In the women representative MP, Maendeleo ya wanawake chairlady Mary Mutinga will face it off with a Machakos based medical doctor Dr. Susan Musyoka for the wiper ticket. Dr. Musyoka tried to vie for the Machakos Town constituency seat but came a distance 5 th and now she is set to battle it out with Mary Mutinga for the newly created Women represe...
Read more