Asha Mwilu's Media House Poaches Ex-NTV Journalist

Debunk Media, a startup founded by former Citizen TV anchor Asha Mwilu, has hired Sheila Sendeyo from NTV.

In a statement on Friday, November 4, Debunk Media stated that Sendeyo would lead the multimedia efforts of the digital media house as its audiovisual editor.

The former NTV reporter joins a team of seasoned journalists as Debunk Media seeks to strengthen its capacity having been started during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

"Our multimedia team too gets strengthened through the addition of the rigorous Akello Odenyo, whose reporting is grounded in what matters most to Debunk," the statement read in part.

NTV journalist, Sheila Sendeyo, in an Instagram photo dated October 24, 2018. /SHEILA SENDEYO

Other journalists hired by Debunk Media in November 2022 included Otiato Guguyu, who joined as Current Affairs Editor, Chia Kayanda as an Associate Digital Editor and Joan Masinde as Current Affairs Researcher.

Seasoned novelist Stanley Gazemba joined as a features editor, Natalie Sifuma as an Associate Editor for Current Affairs and Akello Odenyo joined as well. Odenyo is hailed for grounded reporting in what matters the most to Debunk, people and their communities.

Prior to her resignation from the Nation Media Group (NMG), she worked as a news producer and editor for 11 years.

Sendeyo, in her letter to colleagues, recalled the memories she treasured during her time at the famous Twin Towers where she brushed shoulders with CNN's Larry Madowo, Citizen TV's Victoria Rubadiri and Trevor Ombija, among many others.

"I cannot believe how quickly the days melted into 11 years, But as my time at NTV winds down, I can't help but help reflect on all the awesome people I have had the pleasure of working with over the years," she stated.

She joined NMG in 2012 and rose from a broadcast journalist to a news editor, recognised for her prowess in environmental reporting.

She was previously at Royal Media Services (RMS) between 2008 and 2011 where she worked as a TV reporter.

Mwilu, who also doubles up as the media venture’s editor at large, noted in a past interview that the trends in how people were consuming content were changing and thus there was a need to cater to that demand.

“Content from international media is refined but it doesn’t really represent Kenya and the African continent as a whole. We have so much information competing for our attention daily. Many times we need to break everything down and discover why it matters to us.

“Through compelling storytelling and evidence-based journalism, we at Debunk Media want to explore new ways of helping you better understand the big events that shape your life,” she explained.

Mwilu joined a growing number of journalists who chose to branch out from their zones in mainstream and established digital media houses to build their ventures from the bottom-up. 

Asha Mwilu at Debunk Media studios. /FILE