Jalang'o's Bold Claim: Many Presenters Would Lose Their Jobs If He Returned to Radio

Lang’ata Member of Parliament (MP), Phelix Odiwuor, popularly known as Jalang’o, recently made a striking declaration that has sent ripples through the Kenyan media landscape.

Speaking during an episode of the "Tubonge" podcast with journalist Chris The Bass, the former radio heavyweight stated that if he were to return to radio, "many" presenters would find themselves out of work.

A Return to the Airwaves?

The discussion saw Chris The Bass acknowledging Jalang'o's enduring influence, referring to him as "Jalas is Jalas".

It was during this segment that the MP, also known as Heavy J, issued his bold statement. He asserted that if he were to "take a microphone and start," a significant number of radio presenters would lose their jobs.

“Even now, if I go and take a microphone, people would lose jobs, many of them,” Jalang'o stated plainly.

The Art of Radio Presenting

Jalang’o elaborated on his confidence, describing radio presenting as an art that can never leave him. He stressed that it extends beyond mere talent.

READ ALSO: Why Jalang’o Regrets Joining Politics!

For him, it is about passion, what you feel, and it is “much more than microphones on and you just talking".

From Mic to Parliament: A Political Journey

Currently serving as the MP for Lang'ata, Jalang'o's career took a significant turn from entertainment to politics. He reflected on the considerable sacrifice involved in leaving a "well-paying job" in radio to venture into the uncertain world of politics.

Interestingly, his contract with Radio Africa’s Kiss 100 FM apparently included a clause that would have allowed him to return to work if he had lost the election.

“It wasn't easy for me to leave a well-paying job to go into politics that I was not sure about,” he confessed.

Advice to Artists

Jalang’o also shared profound advice on the importance of personal branding, particularly for those in the arts and other industries. He urged individuals to treat themselves as a brand, akin to a well-known product.

His first piece of counsel is to "create a brand". Once established, the next crucial step is to "build the brand" itself.

Beyond creation and building, Jalang’o emphasised the necessity of fostering trust. He advises people to "make people trust the brand".

Jalang’o also stressed the importance of not "burning bridges" when building a brand, citing his own experiences of maintaining relationships from his past career to support his current role as an MP.

He explained that some of the projects in his constituency are collaborations with people he had worked with previously because he did not break those connections.