Victoria Rubadiri joins BBC London, Jeff Koinange surprises her on air [Video]

Citizen TV news anchor Victoria Rubadiri has announced that she will be taking leave from Citizen TV for a period of three months until December 2021.

Rubadiri made the revelation at the end of the Sunday Live bulletin where her co-host Jeff Koinange expressed that he would miss her.

“At the beginning of this program, I said it would be a bittersweet moment because our very own Victoria Rubadiri is off for the next three months... I'm going to miss you but we know you're going out there to shine like a diamond," Koinange bade farewell as he surprised her with a cake brought by one of the show’s crew.

"The time has come, London is calling...I'm going to miss you Jeff," she said admiring the cake.

The news anchor said that for the next three months she would be working at BBC London.

As the winner of the 2020 Komla Dumor Award, she will receive both work experience and training at the BBC office in London.

“I am excited at the prospect of learning new skills at the BBC to be able to connect with audiences locally, regionally and internationally, no matter on which platform the story is being told," she said after receiving the award in 2020.

Citizen TV co-anchors Victoria Rubadiri and Jeff Koinange during a past bulletin Citizen TV co-anchors Victoria Rubadiri and Jeff Koinange during a past bulletin Pulse Live Kenya

Rubadiri will begin her three-month placement at the BBC by attending a training course with the BBC Academy before joining BBC News teams - across TV, radio and online - which will provide her with the opportunity to gain skills and experience across BBC News platforms.

The award was created to honour Komla Dumor, a presenter for BBC World News, who died suddenly aged 41 in 2014.

Rubadiri is the sixth winner of the award, following in the footsteps of Solomon Serwanjja, Waihiga Mwaura, Amina Yuguda, Didi Akinyelure and Nancy Kacungira. She is the second Kenyan to win the award.

She impressed judges with her eloquence and passion for telling African stories on both traditional media platforms and social media.

"I’ve Always Wanted To Fit In" - Victoria Rubadiri AFP

"We're delighted to have Victoria on board to bring her insights and passion to the BBC," said Jamie Angus, Director of BBC World Service Group said at the time.

"Komla had the incredible ability to give stories from the continent global resonance, and also deliver it with familiarity and understanding. We're looking forward to seeing Victoria embody that by bringing her perspectives to life," he added.