The Reason Presenter Kai Accepted Radio Job for 2 Years Without Pay

Content creator Presenter Kai has shared the demanding reality of his early media career in Mombasa.

Speaking to Dr Ofweneke at TV47 Kenya, he revealed that he willingly worked for two years at a radio station as a news anchor without receiving any salary.

Kai explained that his primary motivation for staying, and eventually resigning, was to secure industry experience.

The Difficult Start in Mombasa

Before landing the radio job, Kai searched for employment throughout Mombasa. He eventually approached a TV station that was establishing itself.

Although he had studied media and loved announcing and writing news, the station was focused only on production.

They offered him a position but warned him there was no salary. The management told him the payment would be "exposure".

Having failed to find other work, Kai accepted the offer. He reasoned that working was better than staying home doing nothing.

Securing the Unpaid Airwaves

Kai later left the TV job and decided to look for jobs online. He learned that his friend, PS Fikirini Jacobs, had attended an interview at a radio station in Kilifi.

Kai contacted his friend, who provided him with a number and advised him to call and explain his qualifications.

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“I called him and inquired if there was a job opportunity in the radio station where he had gone for an interview. He gave me the phone number and asked me to call and explain my qualifications to them,” Kai recalled.

Kai was invited for an interview on a Monday. He performed the required news-reading task, which he loved, and subsequently got the job.

The Two-Year Experience Strategy

Kai worked at the radio station as an anchor for two years. Crucially, he did so without receiving any salary.

“I got the job and worked for 2 years with no pay.”

His decision to quit was strategic, not immediate. When the two-year mark was reached, Kai realised he had achieved his hidden goal.

Kai explained that he recognised many companies required two years of experience. He decided that, having served his time, he had gained the necessary experience.

He believed that whether future employers hired him or not, he had already gained valuable working experience. He then resigned.

After leaving the radio station, Kai began looking into new ventures. A friend in Bamba, Kilifi, who owned cameras, suggested they look for opportunities together, and that’s how he found himself in content creation.