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Elder Lister
Fred Obachi Machoka: From a GSU Soldier to a famed Radio Presenter
Fred Obachi Machoka, who often describes himself as the 'blackest man in Africa', has worked in the media industry for over 40 years. Before joining the media, he worked as a General Service Unit (GSU) soldier at the Northern frontier defending the country against external forces. Machoka joined KBC in the 1970s before he was poached by Royal Media Services owned by SK Macharia in 2002 Veteran radio and television presenter Fred Obachi Machoka has stood the test of time despite the emergence of young and energetic journalists.
He surprisingly won and was asked to collect his prize in Nairobi. When he went to pick it up, the programme producer asked him if he was interested in radio broadcasting as he had a good voice. Since he had nothing to lose, he decided to give it a try and was tasked with promoting SANYO electronics. He advertised the products on the Voice of Kenya (now KBC), and the brand gained popularity. A year later, he resigned from the Service and ventured into journalism.
At KBC, he worked under the mentorship of the late Said Sonko as he pursued a public relations and advertising course. He hosted the Talk of Time and Music Time shows at the national broadcaster. He produced several commercials for different brands, such as Lucozade and Sportsman. He launched FM 35 (Fred Machoka at 35) in 1988 with a focus on commercial broadcasting.
Machoka joined Citizen Radio in 2002 after he was approached by the SK Macharia-owned station. He was tasked with improving the ratings of the newly formed station to compete with the defunct Metro FM, which was popular at the time.
Fred Obachi Machoka, who often describes himself as the 'blackest man in Africa', has worked in the media industry for over 40 years. Before joining the media, he worked as a General Service Unit (GSU) soldier at the Northern frontier defending the country against external forces. Machoka joined KBC in the 1970s before he was poached by Royal Media Services owned by SK Macharia in 2002 Veteran radio and television presenter Fred Obachi Machoka has stood the test of time despite the emergence of young and energetic journalists.
He surprisingly won and was asked to collect his prize in Nairobi. When he went to pick it up, the programme producer asked him if he was interested in radio broadcasting as he had a good voice. Since he had nothing to lose, he decided to give it a try and was tasked with promoting SANYO electronics. He advertised the products on the Voice of Kenya (now KBC), and the brand gained popularity. A year later, he resigned from the Service and ventured into journalism.
At KBC, he worked under the mentorship of the late Said Sonko as he pursued a public relations and advertising course. He hosted the Talk of Time and Music Time shows at the national broadcaster. He produced several commercials for different brands, such as Lucozade and Sportsman. He launched FM 35 (Fred Machoka at 35) in 1988 with a focus on commercial broadcasting.
Machoka joined Citizen Radio in 2002 after he was approached by the SK Macharia-owned station. He was tasked with improving the ratings of the newly formed station to compete with the defunct Metro FM, which was popular at the time.