Flora Limukii Speaks On Leaving The Newsroom After 6 Years

Flora Limukii has announced that she is leaving CNBC (formerly Consumer News and Business Channel) Africa. Moreover, she has announced that she is stepping away from the newsroom.

As per her statement on X on Friday, March 14, Limukii revealed that she was venturing into the boardroom, bringing to an end a media career that saw her raise the profile of Gen Z journalists in newsrooms, not just in Kenya.

"Today marks my last day in the Newsroom! Nostalgic. Six years down the line! KBC, Tuko, Opera News, Switch TV, TV47, and CNBC Africa.

"It’s time to shift from the Newsroom to the Boardroom! It’s been a quiet a nice ride! Time now for a new challenge," she revealed.

Kenyan journalists during a past press conference. /ARTICLE 19

Speaking to Viral Tea, Limukii termed her newsroom journey as beautiful in general, one that has been full of growth as well as its own challenges, given that she had to go through the murky newsroom field and amass a wealth of experience at her youthful age. 

Recounting her journey, she attributed this to one of her lecturers at the University of Nairobi (UoN) who worked at the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) as a programmes manager.

"When I went for my first year, I asked her if I would get a chance to practise and see what happens in the newsroom and graciously, she looked for me a chance at the broadcasting house, and that is where I started as a business intern, business reporter...just trying to look at where I would fit in and learning what to do in the newsroom," she narrated on how her media career began in 2019.

Limukii further recounted that she utilised her long holiday well, away from the partying circles that characterise part of campus life, to work on her craft at the state-owned broadcaster, a matter which led to writing gigs at TUKO.co.ke and Opera News, the latter coming especially during the COVID-19 period five years ago.

At Switch Media (formerly Switch TV), Limukii honed her skills as a political reporter and producer, producing a political show dubbed Tipping Point. However, it was at TV47 where her career peaked, something she remarked she was grateful for, as well as the support from everyone that was pivotal in her journey.

"There are challenges that come with probably the age and gender factor. As a lady, you have to figure out how to manoeuvre through the newsroom's complexity. So really, my journey has been full of impact. I believe I've told impactful stories. I believe I've done what I wanted to do," she continued.

Limukii further revealed that she had given herself a five-year plan consisting of being in the newsroom and leaving a lasting impact through her stories before stepping aside to make way for fresh faces. "It is always nice to know when to exit the stage," she adds.

"You'd think perhaps it's early, but eventually, I knew I would now pivot to the strategic communications world; that is why I started my masters sometime last year, and over time, I've just been preparing for a transition."

At CNBC Africa, she got the chance to tell Pan-African stories, make great networks, focus on the business world, travel, and broaden her thinking of communications not just within the newsroom perspective but also outside it, learning through interviews of things she would be doing in the world of communications and Public Relations (PR) in preparation for her next role.

Regarding her advice to the next crop of journalists, she responded "Stay consistent and disciplined. Don't lose hope. There are challenges in the newsroom, people will want to pull you back but you got to know what you want to do."

"Focus on something, let people know you for something specific, I see many young journalists and they are starting out, you're in every docket; health, education, political journalist...let people know you for something specific; focus on that and build on it to be able to be so good at something that you're able to practise it later on. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do it; you can do it," she says in her parting shot.

Limukii told Viral Tea that she will be heading to the PR and Strategic Communications world and that she will be officially making the announcement sometime next week. "I have made the people around me, mostly my parents, proud and my family," she concludes.

A photo of former CNBC Africa journalist Flora Limukii. /FLORA LIMUKII