Ferdinand Omondi Quits BBC After 8 Years

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)'s Kenya Correspondent Ferdinand Omondi on Tuesday, May 23 announced his departure from the United Kingdom (UK) national broadcaster after eight years.

In a statement shared across his social media pages, Omondi appreciated BBC for granting him the opportunity to enhance his skills in the art of storytelling in the modern era.

Though he did not reveal his next destination, he noted that leaving BBC was not the end of his media journey, expressing confidence in his next assignment.

"Today, I close this wonderful chapter of my life at the BBC after 8 years. I have grown, I have learned, I have thrived. 

Ferdinand Omondi at BBC East Africa bureau in Nairobi on May 23, 2023. /FACEBOOK.FERDINAND OMONDI

"I leave with a grateful heart and fond memories. Storytelling is what I do best. And I'm excited for what the universe has next for me on my plate. My story continues," he wrote.

He shared a photo of himself smiling at BBC's East Africa Bureau offices in Nairobi holding a golf bag. His fellow media colleagues and followers showered him with encouraging messages ahead of his next milestone.

Omondi boasts over 16 years of experience in generating news content for digital, television, radio and digital media across four media houses and seven countries, and is fluent in spoken and written English, as well as Kiswahili.

He is an experienced digital producer skilled in digital video production, and online writing with photography, podcasts and audio production.

"I have published and presented digital-first stories with over 3 million engagements on BBC Africa Facebook page, and 10 million on the personal Tik Tok page.

"Strong social media presence with 350,000 followers across Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok, averaging at least 1 million impressions and engagements a month. Keen observer of audiences and user of data analytics to inform messaging decisions," Omondi describes on his LinkedIn bio.

Omondi amassed experience in covering geo-political news in Sub-Saharan Africa, from DRC Conflict to Somalia Extremism to the political upheavals and crises in South Sudan and Ethiopia.

He is also the founding member of the Foreign Correspondents Association with over 200 international journalists spread across Africa.

Before joining the BBC he was KTN’s and NTV's Senior Coast Reporter between 2012-2014. In that period, he was at the front line of the Tana River Conflict, the war on Terror and extensively brought Coastal Kenya’s tourism and cultural developments and challenges and was named Tourism Reporter of the Year in 2014 by the Media Council of Kenya (MCK).

His journalism took him to all 47 counties of Kenya during NTV’s Premier News Magazine, The County Edition, soon after the promulgation of the constitution of Kenya in 2010. He also worked for NTV as a Sports News Anchor and Reporter.

He started his career as a radio newsreader for Hot96, in 2006, before being appointed Citizen TV's sports anchor three months later, all under the Royal Media Services (RMS).

Omondi once described how he went viral on TikTok for his coverage of the Azimio la Umoja protests on Monday, March 20 through the platform's live broadcast, going from just 444 followers to over 20,000 at the end of the day.

"So how does a 41-year-old newsgathering veteran connect with Tik Tok? I got my answer when I decided to share my newsy content. The response was astounding.

"Thousands watched and reacted to every snippet I sent. A video of me cowering in a stall, marooned between police teargas and stone-throwing hooligans got over 2.8 million interactions," he stated on Friday, March 24.

Omondi described starting with just three audiences, which grew to more than 4,000 when he had to cut off the live stream.

"When I noticed the numbers I checked my followers. I had gained some 8,000 new followers in 30 minutes. Some 24 hours later, I was pushing 30,000 followers- up from 444 the previous day!" he narrated.

Ferdinand Omondi during coverage of the Azimio la Umoja protests on March 20, 2023. /FACEBOOK.FERDINAND OMONDI