Ben Mutua Jonathan Muriithi
Encyclopedia
BMJ Muriithi (born Jonathan Nyaga on May 4, 1969) is a Kenya
n writer, Radio Presenter, stringer
and actor
based in the United States
. He is currently the Regional Western Hemisphere
International Correspondent for the Swahili
Service of Voice of America
, a multimedia international broadcasting service funded by the U.S. Government through the Broadcasting Board of Governors
. He is also a regional reporter for Kenya's Nation Television (NTV), one of Kenya
's mainstream television Stations.
, Embu district
, Eastern province
, Kenya
. Son of Kenyan small scale farmers Sospeter Kironji Gideon and Jane Igoki Kironji, he rose from a relatively modest family background to head one of the most popular drama clubs in Kenya, the Mt. Kenya Theatrix.
, from where he graduated with a High School Diploma in 1986. In 1988, Muriithi dropped out of school
before he could sit his 'A' level exams in a private School in Thika
, Kenya. In 1990, he trained as a registration officer at Kenya Institute of Surveying and Mapping (KISM) in Ruaraka, Kenya after which the government of Kenya hired him as a Registration Assistant. He later enrolled for a certificate
course in acting and Photojournalism
at Haraldvangen Institute in Norway
, graduating in 1992. Upon his graduation, he featured prominently in Kenyan Radio, Television and stage productions, culminating in being appointed the Executive Chairman of Mt. Kenya Theatrix Club in 1995. Some of the productions he featured in included Athol Fugard
's Sizwe Bansi Is Dead; Joseph Murungu's So Sweet a Bite; and a few of Kenyatta University's Professor Francis Imbuga's published works. During his days in Nairobi
, he featured in some high profile TV commercials, including one by then Celtel
(later Zain
and now 'Airtell'), one of Africa
's leading telecommunication
companies.
and theater scene. Earlier in his career, he traversed the country with members of Mt. Kenya Theatrix, sensitizing people on the dangers of HIV/AIDS through Community
Theater under the auspicies of Plan International, a non-governmental humanitarian organization
famed for its social empowerment programs. During his High School days, he was named the entertainer of the year - class of 1986 - for his wit and humor in his weekend stand-up comedies
.
Muriithi produced and presented the arts
segment of John Obong'o Jr.'s Kenya Beat, a popular Kenyan radio program aired on Monday mornings. He was also a co-presenter
of Dunia Wiki hii, a news roundup program produced by Kenya's renowned radio personality, Hamisi Themor. Besides his duties at KBC, Muriithi produced and presented "Biashara Ndogondogo", a popular radio program aired on Saturdays by Nairobi based Nation
Radio
, which is owned by Nation Media Group
. While working with the media houses, he simultaneously served as a registration assistant with Kenya's department of lands in both Embu and Nairobi
. In 2002, he moved to Georgia
, USA where he is currently studying Communication and International Relations at Atlanta Metro College. He is a correspondent
and News editor with a US based Kenyan Newspaper, Kenya Empowerment Newspaper. He is also a Syndicated correspondent with Kenya Broadcasting Corporation
and a reporter for Minneapolis-based Mshale Newspaper. Before leaving Kenya, he sat on the provincial
adjudication
board for Kenya Schools and Colleges Drama Festival. Mureithi is married to Edith N. Muriithi who is a Medical Assistant and a student at Georgia Perimeter College
. His daughter, Carole Wawira Muriithi (born September 4, 1992) is currently a High School student in Hanoi
, Vietnam
, in which city her mother, Fiona Clare, works for CARE International.
In September 2009, he was contracted by Voice of America
(VOA) as a regional stringer
.
In mid 2010. Nation Media house hired him as a regional reporter on contact basis.
In 2007, he was among the first journalists to shed light on the departure of CNN
's Africa Bureau
Chief, Jeff Koinange
, from the giant media organization
.
On November 23, 2008, his article, 'An Africa to-do list for Obama' was published in Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the main Newspaper in the State of Georgia
, USA. The same was later published by The Washington Post
, the oldest DC
newspaper with the largest circulation in the City
.
and a group of activists led by firebrand Kenyan politician and now Cabinet Minister James Orengo
, to protest the government's intention to sell the Kenya National Theatre
building to the adjacent Norfolk Hotel against the wishes of the artists. The idea was consequently shelved.
In October 2009, Muriithi received an award from Kenya's ambassador
to the U.S. for what the Kenyan Embassy in Washington DC termed "his Professional
support and cooperation
with the Embassy". It was presented amid pomp and color at the Georgia World Congress Center
in Atlanta, Georgia
by HE. Peter Ogego, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
n writer, Radio Presenter, stringer
Stringer (journalism)
In journalism, a stringer is a type of freelance journalist or photographer who contributes reports or photos to a news organization on an ongoing basis but is paid individually for each piece of published or broadcast work....
and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
based in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He is currently the Regional Western Hemisphere
Western Hemisphere
The Western Hemisphere or western hemisphere is mainly used as a geographical term for the half of the Earth that lies west of the Prime Meridian and east of the Antimeridian , the other half being called the Eastern Hemisphere.In this sense, the western hemisphere consists of the western portions...
International Correspondent for the Swahili
Swahili language
Swahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...
Service of Voice of America
Voice of America
Voice of America is the official external broadcast institution of the United States federal government. It is one of five civilian U.S. international broadcasters working under the umbrella of the Broadcasting Board of Governors . VOA provides a wide range of programming for broadcast on radio...
, a multimedia international broadcasting service funded by the U.S. Government through the Broadcasting Board of Governors
Broadcasting Board of Governors
The Broadcasting Board of Governors is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for all non-military, international broadcasting sponsored by the U.S government. It was previously a department within the United States Information Agency until 1999.-Origins:Starting in...
. He is also a regional reporter for Kenya's Nation Television (NTV), one of Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
's mainstream television Stations.
Biography
He was born in KanyuamboraKanyuambora
Kanyuambora is an administrative division in Eastern Kenya which is commonly known as a "Location". It lies on Latitude: 0° -29' 0 N, Longitude: 37° 43' 0 E and is about 90 miles North East of Nairobi...
, Embu district
Embu District
Embu District is an administrative district in the Eastern Province of Kenya. Its capital town is Embu. The district has a population of 278,196 The district has two constituencies: Manyatta Constituency and Runyenjes Constituency.- External links :*...
, Eastern province
Eastern Province
Eastern Province and East Province may refer to the following places:*Eastern Province, Cameroon*Eastern Province, Cundinamarca, Venezuela*Eastern Province, Rwanda*Eastern Province *Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. Son of Kenyan small scale farmers Sospeter Kironji Gideon and Jane Igoki Kironji, he rose from a relatively modest family background to head one of the most popular drama clubs in Kenya, the Mt. Kenya Theatrix.
Early life, School and career
Mureithi and his late brother, Stephen Njagi Kironji started acting in their village church at a very young age. He later joined Kangaru School, Embu, KenyaKenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, from where he graduated with a High School Diploma in 1986. In 1988, Muriithi dropped out of school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
before he could sit his 'A' level exams in a private School in Thika
Thika
Thika is an industrial town in Central Province, Kenya, lying on the A2 road 40 km north east of Nairobi, near the confluence of Thika River & Chania River. Thika has a population of 200,000and is growing rapidly, as is the entire greater Nairobi area...
, Kenya. In 1990, he trained as a registration officer at Kenya Institute of Surveying and Mapping (KISM) in Ruaraka, Kenya after which the government of Kenya hired him as a Registration Assistant. He later enrolled for a certificate
Academic certificate
An academic certificate is a document that certifies that a person has received specific education or has passed a test or series of tests.In many countries, certificate is a qualification attained in secondary education. For instance, students in the Republic of Ireland sit the Junior Certificate...
course in acting and Photojournalism
Photojournalism
Photojournalism is a particular form of journalism that creates images in order to tell a news story. It is now usually understood to refer only to still images, but in some cases the term also refers to video used in broadcast journalism...
at Haraldvangen Institute in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, graduating in 1992. Upon his graduation, he featured prominently in Kenyan Radio, Television and stage productions, culminating in being appointed the Executive Chairman of Mt. Kenya Theatrix Club in 1995. Some of the productions he featured in included Athol Fugard
Athol Fugard
Athol Fugard is a South African playwright, novelist, actor, and director who writes in English, best known for his political plays opposing the South African system of apartheid and for the 2005 Academy-Award winning film of his novel Tsotsi, directed by Gavin Hood...
's Sizwe Bansi Is Dead; Joseph Murungu's So Sweet a Bite; and a few of Kenyatta University's Professor Francis Imbuga's published works. During his days in Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
, he featured in some high profile TV commercials, including one by then Celtel
Celtel
Celtel was a telecommunications company that operated in several African countries. It was founded by Sudanese-born Mo Ibrahim.-History:Originally known as "MSI Cellular Investments", the company began operating in 1998...
(later Zain
Zain
-People:*as a given name in general , orwith a first name of Zain*Zain Abbas , a Pakistan-born cricketer*Zain Amat , a Singaporean trapshooter*Zain Awan , an India-born Arab TV journalist...
and now 'Airtell'), one of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
's leading telecommunication
Telecommunication
Telecommunication is the transmission of information over significant distances to communicate. In earlier times, telecommunications involved the use of visual signals, such as beacons, smoke signals, semaphore telegraphs, signal flags, and optical heliographs, or audio messages via coded...
companies.
Artistic activity
Although he may not be in the league of Kenya's top actors like Paul Onsongo, John Sibi-Okumu or Njeri Osaak, Muriithi has nevertheless contributed immensely to the Kenyan mediaMass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
and theater scene. Earlier in his career, he traversed the country with members of Mt. Kenya Theatrix, sensitizing people on the dangers of HIV/AIDS through Community
Community
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
Theater under the auspicies of Plan International, a non-governmental humanitarian organization
Organization
An organization is a social group which distributes tasks for a collective goal. The word itself is derived from the Greek word organon, itself derived from the better-known word ergon - as we know `organ` - and it means a compartment for a particular job.There are a variety of legal types of...
famed for its social empowerment programs. During his High School days, he was named the entertainer of the year - class of 1986 - for his wit and humor in his weekend stand-up comedies
Stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
.
Muriithi produced and presented the arts
ARts
aRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is best known for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer....
segment of John Obong'o Jr.'s Kenya Beat, a popular Kenyan radio program aired on Monday mornings. He was also a co-presenter
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
of Dunia Wiki hii, a news roundup program produced by Kenya's renowned radio personality, Hamisi Themor. Besides his duties at KBC, Muriithi produced and presented "Biashara Ndogondogo", a popular radio program aired on Saturdays by Nairobi based Nation
Nation
A nation may refer to a community of people who share a common language, culture, ethnicity, descent, and/or history. In this definition, a nation has no physical borders. However, it can also refer to people who share a common territory and government irrespective of their ethnic make-up...
Radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
, which is owned by Nation Media Group
Nation Media Group
Nation Media Group is a Kenyan media group listed on the Nairobi Stock Exchange. NMG was founded by Aga Khan IV in 1959 and is the largest private media house in East and Central Africa with offices in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania...
. While working with the media houses, he simultaneously served as a registration assistant with Kenya's department of lands in both Embu and Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
. In 2002, he moved to Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, USA where he is currently studying Communication and International Relations at Atlanta Metro College. He is a correspondent
Correspondent
A correspondent or on-the-scene reporter is a journalist or commentator, or more general speaking, an agent who contributes reports to a newspaper, or radio or television news, or another type of company, from a remote, often distant, location. A foreign correspondent is stationed in a foreign...
and News editor with a US based Kenyan Newspaper, Kenya Empowerment Newspaper. He is also a Syndicated correspondent with Kenya Broadcasting Corporation
Kenya Broadcasting Corporation
Kenya Broadcasting Corporation is the state-run media organization of Kenya. It broadcasts in both English and Swahili, as well as in most local languages of Kenya. The corporation started its life in 1928 when Kenya was a British colony. In 1964, when Kenya became an independent country, the...
and a reporter for Minneapolis-based Mshale Newspaper. Before leaving Kenya, he sat on the provincial
Provincial
Provincial may refer to:* Provincial capitals, an administrative sub-national capital of a country.* Provincial examinations, a school-leaving exam in British Columbia, Canada* A provincial superior of a religious order...
adjudication
Adjudication
Adjudication is the legal process by which an arbiter or judge reviews evidence and argumentation including legal reasoning set forth by opposing parties or litigants to come to a decision which determines rights and obligations between the parties involved....
board for Kenya Schools and Colleges Drama Festival. Mureithi is married to Edith N. Muriithi who is a Medical Assistant and a student at Georgia Perimeter College
Georgia Perimeter College
Georgia Perimeter College is a two-year associate degree-granting unit of the University System of Georgia. In May 2011, the state Board of Regents approved two bachelor's programs: a Bachelor of Arts in Sign Language Interpreting and a Bachelor of Science in Health Informatics...
. His daughter, Carole Wawira Muriithi (born September 4, 1992) is currently a High School student in Hanoi
Hanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
, Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, in which city her mother, Fiona Clare, works for CARE International.
In September 2009, he was contracted by Voice of America
Voice of America
Voice of America is the official external broadcast institution of the United States federal government. It is one of five civilian U.S. international broadcasters working under the umbrella of the Broadcasting Board of Governors . VOA provides a wide range of programming for broadcast on radio...
(VOA) as a regional stringer
Stringer (journalism)
In journalism, a stringer is a type of freelance journalist or photographer who contributes reports or photos to a news organization on an ongoing basis but is paid individually for each piece of published or broadcast work....
.
In mid 2010. Nation Media house hired him as a regional reporter on contact basis.
In 2007, he was among the first journalists to shed light on the departure of CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
's Africa Bureau
News bureau
A News bureau is an office for gathering or distributing news. Similar terms are used for specialized bureaus, often to indicate geographic location or scope of coverage: a ‘Tokyo bureau’ refers to a given news operation's office in Tokyo; foreign bureau is a generic term for a news office set up...
Chief, Jeff Koinange
Jeff Koinange
Jeff Koinange is a Kenyan journalist and chief reporter at TV station K24. He previously served as the Africa correspondent for CNN and CNN International from 2001 to 2007.-Background:...
, from the giant media organization
Organization
An organization is a social group which distributes tasks for a collective goal. The word itself is derived from the Greek word organon, itself derived from the better-known word ergon - as we know `organ` - and it means a compartment for a particular job.There are a variety of legal types of...
.
On November 23, 2008, his article, 'An Africa to-do list for Obama' was published in Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the main Newspaper in the State of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, USA. The same was later published by The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, the oldest DC
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
newspaper with the largest circulation in the City
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
.
Activism
In the early 1990s, Muriithi teamed up with fellow thespians, including Packson NgugiPackson Ngugi
Packson Ngugi is a Kenyan actor. He has played roles in plays and movies, and appeared in Kenyan TV commercials. He hosted a TV show, Omo Pick A Box, in the late 1990s.He played a mortuary attendant in the movie The Constant Gardener....
and a group of activists led by firebrand Kenyan politician and now Cabinet Minister James Orengo
James Orengo
James Orengo, is a lawyer and former presidential candidate in Kenya. He comes from Ugenya Constituency of Siaya District; he was educated at Ambira Primary School and the Alliance High School. He is law graduate of the University of Nairobi where he was the student body president in his final year...
, to protest the government's intention to sell the Kenya National Theatre
Kenya National Theatre
Kenya National Theatre is part of the Kenya Cultural Centre, a Semi Autonomous Government Agency under the Ministry of State for National Heritage and Culture in Kenya. It is mandated to offer space for the rehearsal and staging of productions to both local and international repertoire...
building to the adjacent Norfolk Hotel against the wishes of the artists. The idea was consequently shelved.
In October 2009, Muriithi received an award from Kenya's ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to the U.S. for what the Kenyan Embassy in Washington DC termed "his Professional
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
support and cooperation
Cooperation
Cooperation or co-operation is the process of working or acting together. In its simplest form it involves things working in harmony, side by side, while in its more complicated forms, it can involve something as complex as the inner workings of a human being or even the social patterns of a...
with the Embassy". It was presented amid pomp and color at the Georgia World Congress Center
Georgia World Congress Center
The Georgia World Congress Center or GWCC is the major convention center in Atlanta. It is the fourth-largest convention center in the United States at 3.9 million ft2 and hosts more than a million visitors each year. At the time opened in 1976 the Georgia World Congress Center was the first state...
in Atlanta, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
by HE. Peter Ogego, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.
See also
- http://www.kenyasatellitenetwork.com