- Veteran Citizen TV anchor Yvonne Okwara delivered her final broadcast on Tuesday, 27 October, after two decades at the network
- Okwara paid tribute to mentors, colleagues and the News Gang team during a heartfelt on-air goodbye that left viewers emotional
- The celebrated journalist hinted at a new chapter ahead, saying she was leaving to 'build something else' after 20 years
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One of Kenya's most recognised faces in broadcast journalism has signed off. Veteran anchor Yvonne Okwara delivered her final broadcast on Citizen TV on Tuesday, 27 October, closing out a 20-year career with a deeply personal farewell that moved audiences across the country.
Source: Instagram
Seated at the familiar "Yvonne's Take" desk on The Explainer, Okwara reflected on a journey that began straight out of university, where she held a microbiology degree and carried what she described as youthful optimism for journalism and for Kenya.
"When I walked through these doors 20 years ago, I was young, fresh out of university with a microbiology degree, some television experience from my youth, but teeming with vibrance, optimism for this great craft of journalism and for this country," she said.
The people who shaped her career
Okwara used the platform to honour the mentors who guided her from the very beginning. She credited Jimmy Garthu at Hot 96 as the man who gave her her first break in journalism, throwing her in the deep end and teaching her to respect her audience's time. She also paid tribute to Joe Agueo, whom she described as the journalist who truly shaped her craft, and Sam Shollei, former CEO of the Standard Group, for lessons in leadership.
She spent eight and a half years at Citizen TV, which she called home to the best team in the business, singling out Monica Kiragu, Managing Director Wachira Waruru, and the wider newsroom staff from editors and photojournalists to drivers and makeup artists.
Her most emotional words were reserved for the News Gang, the Thursday night panel she helped build from its very inception. She addressed co-panellists Lina Kaikai, Jamila, Joseph and Sam Gituku individually, noting that together they had "defined journalism in this country."
"It has been my greatest honor to serve you. And you know, I would not have done this without a family behind me and beside me, for being my biggest fans and my biggest critics, and for praying with me and for me, for staying up with me every single show. To my family and to the one I love, thank you. I say all this because after 20 years of building this ship, it is time to build another," she said.
"I am not done building"
Okwara was clear that her departure is not a retreat. Having interviewed presidents, CEOs and world leaders over two decades, she described her exit as a pivot rather than a conclusion.
"I leave with the same optimism I walked through these doors with 20 years ago, the same curiosity, the same belief that this country can be better," she said. "I am not done building. I'm simply moving to build something else."
She closed with a message to viewers, urging Kenyans to keep demanding accountability and to never stop believing the country is worth fighting for.
"Keep asking the right questions. Keep holding power to account. Keep believing that this country is worth fighting for. Because it is, and it must be together," she said, before signing off with a simple: "Good night."
Watch Yvonne Okwara's full farewell broadcast on Citizen TV's Instagram:
Yvonne Okwara shows off impeccable dance moves
We also highlighted facts about Yvonne Okwara’s dance moves at the Nairobi City Marathon 2024, where the Citizen TV anchor celebrated after completing her race.
The viral clip captures her reaction when the DJ switched from the Luhya hit “Mundu Mulosi” to a Luo song, prompting a playful moment that delighted viewers.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
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