Asante sana Kip: I’ll always remember Kip beyond the chair

Kiprono Kittony has always had a rare instinct for knowing when to place his confidence in someone. He listens, asks questions and takes his time.

But once he sees ability in a person, or promise in an idea, he is prepared to stand behind it before success is assured.

We first met in 1997. What began as friendship soon grew into business, and over nearly three decades our families have become one. I have watched Kiprono give people responsibility and expect them to rise to it.

That same instinct shaped his contribution to Kenya’s media industry. When private radio was still finding its place in Kenya, Kiprono understood that the country could not be served by one kind of station speaking in one voice.

 Listeners wanted music they recognised and presenters who understood them. Radio Africa grew from that understanding. Its stations developed their own character.

Kiprono also felt strongly that Radio Africa could not remain only a radio business. He supported the establishment of the Star and the decision to invest in our own printing press.

 It was a major commitment and one that helped turn Radio Africa into a broader media house rather than simply a collection of successful stations.

He gave direction and allowed those who understood the audience to do their work. I saw the value of that approach through East FM.

Kiprono understood that Kenya’s Asian community was not separate from the Kenyan story. It had its own traditions, but was also deeply woven into the country’s business and social life.

 He supported East FM’s place within Radio Africa and recognised that the station would succeed only if it remained true to the people it served.

Under Radio Africa, East FM grew into Kenya’s leading Asian radio station without surrendering its identity. It remained distinctly Asian and entirely Kenyan.

That reflected Kiprono’s wider outlook. He did not ask people or institutions to lose what made them different before he could see their value. His contribution went beyond Radio Africa.

As chairman of the Media Owners Association, he could sit with competitors and recognise when the interests of the industry had to come first.

He understood media as a business, but also the need to protect the space in which journalists work. Kiprono never treated the chairmanship as a title to be carried lightly.

He believed in people and remained invested in what they built. That is the chairman many will remember. I will remember more. I will remember the friend who became a partner and the partner who became a brother.

 I will remember the trust he placed in me before I had a long record of achievement. I will remember others whose lives moved forward because Kiprono opened a door and allowed them to prove themselves.

As he leaves the Radio Africa chair, he leaves behind a stronger company and an important chapter in Kenya’s media history. His contribution lives through the people he trusted and the opportunities they created for others.

 Kiprono, thank you for believing in me and for the years shared between our families. Radio Africa will record what you achieved as its chairman. I will always remember the brother behind the chair