Did Citizen TV fire Jeff Koinange? This week, the media-savvy people of Kenya are all asking the same question: Is the famous anchor going to be fired? Fans who have been following his keen wit and frank questions for a long time are confused by his lengthy absence from the screen, which has led to a flurry of hypotheses, from “he’s on a sabbatical” to “he’s gone.”
The story started slowly but quickly grew. Since late August, Jeff Koinange Live, or JKL as it’s called, has gone on without its star, with stand-ins like the calm Ayub Abdikadir coming up to the mike.
People who tune in at 9 p.m. sharp see the same logo and format, but they don’t see Koinange’s famous bowtie or loud laugh. “Where’s Jeff?” “Did he quit in the middle of the contract?” one confused netizen asked, joining a chorus of others who have had thousands of exchanges.
The gossip mill is now churning out more interesting stories. Blogs and YouTube channels were full of stories about Koinange leaving because he was drunk too many times.
His employers kicked him out because he was too drunk too many times. In a viral video, maverick Aoko Otieno stoked the flames by talking about “internal drama” and hinting at rumours of early retirement linked to personal issues.
By the end of the week, Facebook threads were full with messages saying he had been “let go” because of the supposed problem, replete with theatrical reenactments and dodgy sources.
One video even got 114,000 views, making it seem like a tabloid story about a fallen giant. But stop the eulogies; Fanya Mambo Kinuthia, Koinange’s Hot 96 breakfast partner, put the brakes on with a scathing Facebook post.
He said, “Kenya is full of false rumours,” and insisted that he had shared the Tuesday slot from 7 to 8 a.m. with Jeff for over two years without any problems. He reiterated that there will be no firings or set problems that were caused by slurs.
It’s been two months since their last tandem broadcast, and the two of them miss the atmosphere, but Kinuthia’s bottom line is, “He was never fired.” The denial hit like a mic drop in the middle of the fight.
Kinuthia, who is no newcomer to the radio himself, said it was just hearsay in a country that loves heated opinions. But the emptiness stays. Koinange, 55, isn’t just any presenter; he’s a broadcast beast who’s worked at CNN’s Atlanta centre, KTN’s journalistic trenches, and Citizen since 2013.
JKL, which he came up with, has looked into everything from cheating in elections to scandals involving celebrities. He has won a Presidential Order of Service award and a place in Kenya’s media hall of fame.
Fans aren’t easily buying the blackout. “Contract haijaisha, why ghost us?” Another person said they were sad and pointed to unsubstantiated rumours that his agreement will last until 2026.
Some think it may be a break for health or family reasons, while others think it might be a shake-up at the station since Royal Media Services’ ad income is going down. Citizen TV hasn’t said a word, as usual, so fans have been coming up with their own speculations.
People who monitor the news notice a trend. David Mwenje, a senior writer who has followed Koinange’s 30-year tenure, jokes, “In Kenya’s echo-chamber era, absences breed avalanches.” “Jeff’s brand is based on telling the truth, which is funny because fiction is now chasing him.” He alludes to earlier fights, such as Koinange’s 2017 arrest for a mistake during a live broadcast, as evidence that he is tough as nails.
