About a decade ago, it was fashionable for many Kenyan high school students to dream of becoming a doctor, lawyer or engineer. In fact, most of the bright students usually choose medicine as their first course selection and then engineering or law as an alternative major. However, those days seem to be coming to an end as many bright students now seem to have other career aspirations.
New careers have suddenly sprung up and many young people are starting to take notice. Take a look at the radio and television presenters. Many radio hosts, like Kiss FM host Carol Mutoko, earn six-figure incomes that will put the salaries of professionals in so-called lucrative careers to shame. Imagine the kind of salaries Maina Kageni and Churchill of Classic 105 earn. They certainly earn more than a doctor or engineer given their age and level of experience. A decade ago, if you had told your parents that you wanted to be a radio or television presenter, they would have dismissed your career choice as unwise.
It seems that we are actually living in different times. Some lawyers do indeed leave their profession and become radio hosts. Angie from Easy FM is one example that comes quickly to mind. With media careers having such high pay and benefits, it’s no wonder many young people are beginning to diversify their career options. Easy FM’s Munene Nyagah, who quit as a teacher to become a presenter for Easy FM, is a classic case of media personalities leaving the classroom for the media industry. Citizen TV presenters such as Swalim Mdoe and Julie Gichuru exemplify the kind of glamor that many young people believe is found in the media industry, and therefore there is a fascination with the media industry. And of course they have a chance to become real Kenyan celebrities.
