KTN’s News Anchor Yvonne Okwara Talks About Her Journey & What It Took To Be Successful

Yvonne Okwara, a Prime Time anchor at KTN talks of how she joined television when she was still a child and how she began her journey to where she is right now ; one that survived hard times through patience , hard work, determination and good advice.

Speaking to Judith Mwobobia of True Love magazine, Yvonne says that she was about 10years old when she started hosting the KBC’s children variety show. After studying science at Jomo Kenyatta University she landed a managerial post at a friend’s gym. There she learned of a new radio station opening up and that is where her journey as one of the most top-rated news anchors in the country.

She started off hosting a Saturday world music show later moving on to a daily mid-morning show then the breakfast show. Two years later, she moved from an established station to become a producer of a new Kiswahili station at nation called Q FM. Even as a producer she would do voice overs for Money Matters, a business show on NTV and she kept wishing she was doing the morning show too.

It may appear that all these opportunities came easy for her but it was not. To prove that she was good enough for a show she had to shadow Misiko Andere and do mock interviews for her for five months before they let her in.

Nation opened up Q TV and she again signed on as a producer but in a few months she moved to KTN. After a month she took over the morning show also coordinating anchors and later took over the weekend bulletin.

But how exactly did she end up on the top? Did it just happen overnight?

She knew what she wanted and had to be aggressive. “Women who know what they want go after it …just know what you want and go about it the right way, that is a nice girl. I may step on toes but I respect people,” she says.

“In the journalism career there is a lot of pressure to perform at your best and it is important to always have your facts right,” she adds.

Unlike most female news anchors, Yvonne Okwara is not big on make-up, fashion or the skin bleaching craze. She says that she is about getting the job well done and the pressure of looking attractively good does not get to her.

Yvonne says that there were a number of people who hinted to her heavily that she was too dark for TV …that dark skin was not so easy for the eye. “I do not lose any sleep over my complexion. And I was determined to make it o my talents alone. If how I look bothers you, that is your problem.”

She also attests that not everyone will love you.”I examine criticism and if I feel that there is something to improve on, I do it.”

Yvonne loves her job but she loves reading even more. She says that she reads everything she gets her hands on. This is through her mother who told her that she may not get around the world but she would through books and they have brought her far.

The last born of three children, now in her early thirties, says that things have become clearer with age and that she is in her best years and is more confident in knowing what she can and cannot do.

“If I were to go back in time I would tell my younger self that nothing is permanent. Not to wallow in the lows because that too shall pass and the highs won’t last either. Also that looking for affirmation from outside is not a smart thing to do. Finally that having mentors older than you are is a good thing.” She says.

She does not have any regrets whatsoever. She claims that the mistakes taught her a lesson, the lost opportunities and bad decisions made her a better stronger person. She sometimes beats herself up and takes herself too seriously but at the end she considers herself intense and passionate about people in her life and the work she does.

Yvonne believes in putting in the work and then being patient and staying the course because in 10 years’ time she wants to move higher up in leadership, mould people and be in a position of influence.

Read more about her inspiring story on July’s issue of True Love Magazine

Courtesy: True Love

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