Waihiga Mwaura's biography: Education, family, career, awards & sidehustle

Waihiga's journey to the pinnacle of Kenyan media has been one of persistence, hard work, and dedication.

He started out in the IT industry before eventually transitioning into journalism, a career that has seen him become a household name in Kenya and beyond.

Waihiga Mwaura is a journalist, TV presenter, and media personality who has made a name for himself in the media industry over the years. A photo of Waihiga Mwaura, a journalist, TV presenter, and media personality Pulse Live Kenya

Fun facts about Waihiga Mwaura

He had only worked for Citizen TV for the 14-year span of his media career until he joined BBC in 2023.
He declined an alleged Sh1 million bribe during the 2016 Rio Olympics.
He is a computer scientist
Close friends call him Higgs
His horoscope is Gemini

Waihiga Mwaura’s early life

Waihiga Mwaura was born on June 6, 1984, as the firstborn of three siblings. His father David Mwaure Waihiga is a clergyman who contested the presidential election in 2022.

In 2023, his father was appointed to be the chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the National Environment Trust Fund.

Waihiga attended Muthaiga Kindergarten before moving to St Nicholas then to St Mary’s School in Nairobi and finally to Rusinga School.

He later joined African Nazarene University where he graduated with a degree in Computer Science.

Waihiga Mwaura’s IT and Banking career

During his attachment in his 3rd year of campus, Waihiga realized that his passion was not in IT and computer science, and therefore decided to explore other career paths.

After graduating he avoided applying for IT-related jobs despite recommendations.

In 2006, he got a job at a call centre located along Mombasa Road that served US clients.

Later, in 2007, he joined the banking sector as a management trainee but felt unfulfilled with the job.

Waihiga Mwaura is a journalist, TV presenter, and media personality who has made a name for himself in the media industry over the years. A photo of Waihiga Mwaura, a journalist, TV presenter, and media personality Pulse Live Kenya

He was inspired by the media clients he served while working in the bank and desired a career in the media industry.

“These people look like they have time on their hands and are actively pursuing their passions,” he said in a past interview.

“By the time we were done, the news was on at 7:00 pm so we ended up watching the news in the office as were winding up. I remember telling my supervisor that one day I am going to work over there (pointing to the TV). He laughed at me and said it was impossible for me to go from banking to the media.”

Waihiga Mwaura’s entrepreneurship

After leaving the bank, Waihiga and his brother tried to establish an IT business but it ran into losses and had to be closed after six months.

Waihiga Mwaura’s acting

After trying to set up a business with his brother and failing, Waihiga decided to try his luck in acting and landed an audition for a TV football show.

The show worked out well and he kept pushing until he also landed an audition for a youth show that gave him the visibility he needed to become famous.

After both shows ended, Waihiga learned of an opportunity at the sports desk and decided to try it out.

News anchor Waihiga Mwaura News anchor Waihiga Mwaura Pulse Live Kenya

Waihiga Mwaura joins Citizen TV’s Sports desk

After running the ropes despite not being an avid sports fan, Waihiga Mwaura re-introduced aggressive sports investigative journalism at Citizen TV, which led to an invitation to attend the Africa Investigative Journalism Conference in November 2016 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

During his time as a sports anchor, he cinched the inaugural Mo Amin award for an investigative sports piece on doping in Kenya. The story was also recognized by the World Anti-Doping Agency in Kenya as they warned the Kenyan government against being lax in the fight against doping.

He was also awarded the CNN Multichoice sports award in 2012 for a creative piece on maasai morans who took up cricket in the fight against Female Genital Mutilation & the spread of HIV/Aids.

Waihiga Mwaura joins Citizen TV News and Current Affairs

In 2017, Waihiga Mwaura transitioned from the sports desk. As a presenter and co-producer, Waihiga developed Citizen Extra, a daily 3-hour news and current affairs show from a station ‘filler’ to a must-watch program with all the latest updates both locally and internationally.

He reported on various local and international events live, including three Kenyan elections, the 2017 presidential election results annulment, the Zimbabwe power transfer from Mugabe to Mnangagwa, American politics, Brexit, and South African President Jacob Zuma’s exit.

In 2018, Waihiga was named the host of Daybreak, a brand new morning show on Citizen Tv where he regularly interviewed leaders and opinion shapers on the big stories of the day.

Waihiga Mwaura is a journalist, TV presenter, and media personality who has made a name for himself in the media industry over the years. A photo of Waihiga Mwaura, a journalist, TV presenter, and media personality Pulse Live Kenya

In 2020, he was promoted to special projects editor and oversaw several exposes. In December 2021, he was promoted to be the managing editor until he left the station on May 2, 2023.

Waihiga Mwaura’s awards

Waihiga has won numerous awards for his outstanding work in the media industry. He was the first male winner of the prestigious BBC World News 2018 Komla Dumor Award, the 2015 winner of the Mo Amin Africa Award, and the 2012 winner of the CNN Multi-choice Africa Award.

He was awarded the 2019 UBA Award by the Kenya Christian Professionals Forum for his contribution to the media.

He is also a three-time Media Council of Kenya Awards nominee (2015-2017).

Waihiga Mwaura with Linus Kaikai at the AJEA gala Pulse Live Kenya

In 2022, he was named among the Top 25 Men in Digital by SOMA for his work in championing the digital transformation journey for Royal Media Services and introducing innovative products under Citizen Digital to increase audience reach, optimize user experiences, as well as increase revenue.

Waihiga Mwaura’s side hustles

Apart from his work in the media industry, Waihiga is also an event host, corporate MC, and public speaker.

He has moderated panel discussions on varied topics in Nairobi, Lagos, and London for Citizen TV, the London School of Economics, the World Bank, and BBC, amongst other institutions.

Waihiga is also a keynote speaker with a nuanced understanding of the African media scene.

Waihiga Mwaura’s wife

There is limited publicly available information about Waihiga Mwaura's immediate family and personal life.

However, it is known that he is married to Joyce Omondi, a gospel artist and former TV presenter.

Celebrity couple Waihiga Mwaura and Joyce Omondi Pulse Live Kenya

The couple tied the knot in a private ceremony in December 2015. Their wedding was attended by close friends and family members, including fellow media personalities.

Waihiga and Joyce have been together for several years and have often been spotted at public events and social gatherings.

They also occasionally share photos and messages of each other on their social media platforms, showcasing their love and affection for one another.

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