Kimberley Leonard: Kenyan TV Anchor Reacts To Tough Last Day At Sky News

Leonard hosted her last show on Monday, August 28 after announcing on Saturday evening, August 26 through a Twitter (X) post that she was off to greener pastures which she would reveal in due course.

Marvin Chege Marvin Chege
Aug 28, 2023 - 16:42 Updated: Aug 28, 2023 - 16:43
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Kimberley Leonard: Kenyan TV Anchor Reacts To Tough Last Day At Sky News
Photo collage of Kimberley Leonard during her last day at Sky News on August 28, 2023 and a photo of a wristband paying homage to her home country, Kenya. /SKY NEWS.KIMBERLEY LEONARD

Kimberley Leonard, the Kenyan TV anchor who graced millions of screens at London-based Sky News, recounted the litmus test she faced on her last day at the station after a seven-year stint.

Leonard hosted her last show on Monday, August 28 after announcing on Saturday evening, August 26 through a Twitter (X) post that she was off to greener pastures which she would reveal in due course.

On her last day, the news presenter also paid homage to her home country Kenya by sharing a photo of a symbolic wristband with the national colours, and the caption “Tell them we were here”.

However, that was just the tip of the iceberg. The unpredictability of the news atmosphere saw her final appearance coinciding with aggressive coverage of Britain's National Air Traffic Service (NATS) experiencing a technical issue that led to restrictions on the flow of aircraft, causing delays and cancellations across Europe.

"I'm so overwhelmed right now. That was quite a shift! Thank you so much for watching and for all the messages. I nearly didn't get through the weather!" she stated.

Kimberly reported that passengers were stuck on planes on the tarmac, and airports and airlines worked to minimize the impact on travellers. The issue also affected flights travelling to, from, or through UK airspace, resulting in significant delays.

The parting shot also featured a conversation with Sky News' science correspondent, Thomas Moore as the weather update followed just after.

"Can you imagine - a breaking aviation story for my last shift! We've got the latest - and you can stream us on YouTube if you're already at the airport," she said in another post.

Similar to what happened following her Saturday announcement, many fans took to X to congratulate her for her impressive career in the UK giant media house.

"Sad to see the very talented Kimberley Leonard leaving Sky News, going out on a day of breaking news of near-chaos in the air and chaos over sexism in Spanish football. Nenda kwa amani na bahati mzuri (Go well and good luck)," stated Sky News producer Anwar Tambe.

Kimberley Leonard Profile

Kimberley is based in London, United Kingdom and boasts over 20 years of international experience working as an anchor, reporter and producer for some of the world’s leading news channels. Before her recent announcement, she was the lead world news presenter at Sky News.

She was born and bred in Kenya. In Nairobi, she began her media career working in radio, as her LinkedIn profile details.

She then moved to the United Arab Emirates to work as a reporter for the Dubai One‘s nightly news for over seven years. She then relocated to Qatar where she got a position at Al Jazeera English, based in Doha.

During her time in Dubai, Kimberley worked as a reporter and anchor on the business desk, where she cultivated an interest in the hotel sector. After Qatar, she moved to the United Kingdom in 2015.

It was in the English capital that she joined Sky News, taking up the following shows: Sky Midnight News, Sky News Sunrise, Live at Five and Press Preview. Her job came with its share of gigantic demands since she spent over six hours working on Live TV.

Kimberley reported on events that shaped Kenya, Africa and the world, including the Dusit D2 terrorist attack in Nairobi, the ejection of Robert Mugabe from power in Zimbabwe, the historic summit between South Korean President Moon Jae-In and his North Korean counterpart, Kim Jong Un, the Grenfell Tower disaster in London and the Manchester bombing.

She has also covered live scenes of plane crashes, and economic forums and interviewed the likes of billionaire Richard Branson, astronaut Buzz Aldrin, Chris Froome, and Terry O’Neill to name a few.

As an aviation addict, she grew up near Wilson Airport, Lang’ata, Nairobi County where she flew for countless hours with her father (a pilot) across the country. It was there that she fell in love with aeroplanes.

During her stay in the UAE, she manifested her passion into a career, covering various aspects of the aviation industry. Other than English, Kimberley bears a fluency in Kiswahili as well as Spanish and French.

Kimberley Leonard posing for a photo. /FILE

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