Most Read Articles On Viral Tea Website In 2023
We have compiled 10 of our most-read articles that you have enjoyed in 2023:
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The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) among others in the three-year-old decade has changed the world as we know it, amidst a shift to the technological era, with the media not being spared through changes set to align with the new age.
As a result, digital journalism has become a staple among readers looking for content to consume in real-time and anywhere, with any device ranging from a budget smartphone to a laptop, even a tablet, meaning journalists have been forced to come up with creative ways of storytelling to maintain and grow a loyal audience.
Viral Tea this year has gone the extra mile of crafting its stories using albeit fewer resources compared to the other bigger media houses during its evolution to being the fastest-growing digital native publisher in Kenya, in the new decade.
We have the latest in social media trends and the internet as our best friends as well as digitally-emerging platforms meant to enhance our storytelling, including visualised content.
We are not saying you ignore the other big media giants with far greater resources...follow them, but remember us too as we are among the first to go the extra mile with bold, fresh, well-packaged news in a timely fashion that you can find nowhere else, meeting your needs and building a loyal audience...all in just two years!
As such, we have compiled 10 of our most-read articles that you have enjoyed in 2023:
King Kalala Goes After Fake X Account Which Leaked Adriana Wanjiku Video
The story published by Viral Tea on October 26, 2023, is our most-read article this year, and a first-ever for lovers of entertainment and gossip.
Side by side of radio presenter King Kalala and Adriana Wanjiku. /INSTAGRAM.KING KALALA.ADRIANA WANJIKU
NRG Radio presenter Prudence Chepkirui Tonui, popularly known as King Kalala, had threatened to take legal action against a parody account on X (formerly Twitter) accused of leaking a series of explicit videos, one of which sparked uproar from Wednesday, October 25.
The video in question had captured a woman named Adriana Wanjiku in a non-consensual encounter with an unidentified man who was recording the whole proceedings. The man was seen undressing Wanjiku who was allegedly intoxicated and having intercourse with her as she helplessly lay on the bed.
The act was castigated by many Kenyans who demanded action to be taken against the male individual. Some netizens had also turned the heat on the parody account posing as King Kalala which leaked the video to the social media platform.
Taking to her official X account, King Kalala urged netizens to promptly report any parody account sharing disturbing content under the guise of her name, while exploring the possibility of taking legal action against the owners of all of them.
"It has come to my attention that some existing parody accounts have been sharing/distributing disturbing content, all while pretending to be me. Kindly help me report all those pages if you come through any of them. I'm currently looking into taking legal action against all," she appealed.
Legendary Radio Presenter Musungu Kyumbe Dies
Anytime a renowned personality in the media industry passes away, it grips the country's media space hard. As such, when a source tipped us regarding the demise of celebrated radio presenter, Musungu Kyumbe, we did not hesitate to report.
Also known as James Malombe, the renowned Mbaitu FM presenter passed away on Tuesday, November 28 at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) in Nairobi.
Former Machakos Senator, Johnson Muthama, was among the high-profile figures to mourn the loss of an icon in the media industry.
"In sorrow, I join the Kamba community in mourning the loss of the esteemed Kamba Radio Presenter, Musungu Kyumbe, whose departure has created a profound void.
"My deepest condolences go out to his family, friends, and the dedicated fans who cherished him. Poleni sana for this irreplaceable loss," he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
The news of his passing came as a profound loss to both the broadcasting community and those who tuned in to his distinctive voice. His journey was one marked by resilience and dedication, not only to his craft but also to the listeners who welcomed him into their homes each day.
CS Soipan Tuya Is Having Sexual Affair With Her Driver- Husband Responds
The article showcased Kenyans' unbroken love for gossip and amidst a divorce case pitting Environment Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya and estranged husband, former Narok Member of County Assembly (MCA) Stephen Ole Kudate, the latter responded with an alleged confession that shook the country.
Kudate in response to an application filed by Tuya seeking upkeep and child maintenance, began by claiming that the CS had chased him out of their matrimonial home in Kileleshwa, Nairobi when she was appointed to office in 2022 by President William Ruto.
He revealed that they were legally married having observed all traditional marriage rites, further confirming that they sired two children who in his side of the story, have not been neglected as purported by Tuya.
“As the head of the family, I was a man of means who provided adequately, and she knows that I am jobless, but with the little I have, I effectively play my parental role,” he said.
According to Kudate, he was deliberately denied by the CS from seeing the children and excluded from participating in their children's welfare.
Furthermore, the former MCA sensationally claimed that Tuya had been having a romantic and sexual relationship with her official driver, a matter he said he would base on during his cross-examination of Tuya when the matter is heard.
“The sexual relationship between Tuya and her official driver is a mask for other sexual relationships with other high-ranking individuals in the society,” he went on.
Russia Slams 13 Foreign Powers Urging Raila, Ruto To Embrace Dialogue
Russia on Tuesday, July 18 poured cold water on a statement by Ambassadors and High Commissioners offering to provide support in mediation talks between President William Ruto and Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga over the nationwide demonstrations.
The 13 European Ambassadors had earlier delivered a message via a joint statement to Raila and President Ruto saying they should embrace dialogue to avert demonstrations that if not called off, would have led to loss of lives.
They acknowledged the challenges Kenyans face every day and called upon both the Raila and Ruto factions to give dialogue another chance to address issues facing the country in peace.
However, Russia, through its Embassy in Nairobi, accused the foreign powers of meddling with the internal affairs of the country, despite the chaotic protests that have led to the loss of lives and destruction of property.
“If it is not interference in internal affairs, what is it?” the embassy replied in a sentenced statement.
Ex-KTN Reporter Makes Plea After Being Fired From BBC
This article covered former KTN News reporter, Carolyne Bii, who on Wednesday, July 12 announced that she was willing to do media interviews, forums as well as conferences to share her redundancy experience having been laid off from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
In a statement posted on her LinkedIn and Facebook pages, Bii recounted finding herself in an unexpected turn of events in her career journey having been fired from the British state broadcaster after slightly over a year, where she worked as a journalist.
An image of the BBC office in Nairobi. /FILE
She learnt of the redundancy announcement just eight months into her new role at the media house, which also unexpectedly came to her, an announcement which materialised five months thereafter.
"I’ve made a conscious decision: a hard one to talk about my redundancy journey. I’m now branding myself as a redundancy ambassador, its new poster child. Call me for those media interviews, forums and conferences, where you need someone to talk about redundancy. I’m a case study who’s found hope in the ashes," she appealed.
According to Bii, she was a victim of BBC's mass redundancy move triggered by financial decisions and had nothing to do with her work at the media house, though she expressed gratitude to have worked with talented journalists at a media house whereby she developed her skills and knowledge in the competitive industry.
Bulldozers Raid Athi River Homes Hours After Ruto Order
The directive by President William Ruto to revoke the title deeds of those who had not developed land at Athi River for over 10 years shook the country, and a day later, bulldozers raided and demolished several homes, schools and churches.
The Head of State had issued orders over land grabbed from the East Africa Portland Cement Company (EAPCC) in the Mavoko sub-county, declaring that land grabbers who had seized the land would be kicked out to pave the way for Export Processing Zones (EPZ) Zone expansion.
Effecting Ruto's directive, more than 20 heavy machinery, under the security of armed General Service Unit (GSU) officers, began flattening permanent and temporary structures on the prime land.
Former Tusker Project Fame contestant Alvan Gatitu alias Alvan Love filmed the exercise which saw activity consisting of a myriad of vehicles coupled with police cars and officers firing teargas to disrupt any form of protests.
Notably, some of the homes were still under construction as the exercise forced residents to seek alternative means of accommodation in a saga that attracted widespread condemnation, including Raila Odinga and his Azimio la Umoja coalition.
UK Military Intercepts Kenya Airways Plane After Detecting Security Threat Mid-Air
Viral Tea's most-read article in its newly launched exclusive aviation segment, a first for any digital media house in Kenya, was a breaking news event covering a Kenya Airways plane which was intercepted by United Kingdom (UK) military aircraft from the Royal Air Force (RAF) while mid-air.
The plane which was to land at London Heathrow on Thursday morning, October 12 was instead diverted to London Stansted Airport. Kenya Airways responded to the interception by revealing that its headquarters received an alert of a potential security threat aboard the affected plane, KQ100.
The aircraft, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, landed safely at Stansted Airport, for security clearance by UK government security personnel.
The Daily Mail first reported that heavy police presence as well as that of emergency first responders surrounded Stansted Airport, with a section of UK media also reporting that a bomb squad were also at the scene.
So huge was our story that a photo we published depicting the passenger plane at Stansted Airport was carried on a 9 pm news bulletin on Citizen TV, Kenya's biggest and most-watched TV station.
Emergency vehicles at the London Stansted Airport where a Kenya Airways plane was intercepted on October 12, 2023. /PLANE AUDITS
US Police Pose As Hitman Going On A Date To Trap Kenyan Top Banker
It seemed like just an ordinary news article capturing the arrest of a Kenyan in the United States (US) but what sparked huge interest was who that Kenyan was.
The Kenyan national who is a former director of a leading bank in the country was arrested for his alleged involvement in a murder-for-hire scheme in the US. 52-year-old Leonard Thuo Mwithiga was arrested on Monday, December 4 after being suspected of hiring a hitman to kill one of his family members to bring other family members back to Kenya.
U.S. media house NBC reported that the banker was accosted by state police, two days after a confidential informant went to state police reporting that Mwithiga wanted his help finding a hitman to execute the mission.
Viral Tea dug deeper into Mwithiga's profile and discovered his LinkedIn, depicting his decorated 20-year professional career with 14 of them in senior management of the banking and financial services industry.
On his profile, he describes himself as a "passionate, experienced and transformational professional" with expansive experience in banking operations, technology, Innovation and strategic change management.
Mwithiga attained his Ph.D. in Business Administration in 2017 from the University of Nairobi (UoN) where he specialised in Strategic Information and Banking industry, after attaining his Master of Business Administration in 2002 from the same institution. In 1995, Mwithiga attained his bachelor's degree in Physics and Mathematics from Egerton University.
Between 2003 and 2006, Mwithiga worked as the Head of IT at the Central Depository and Settlement Corporation before heading to a multinational bank company as the head of change and performance at the COO's office. He served there for 7 years.
In 2013, he moved to a local bank as the General Manager of Group Shared Services, in the Group COO's Office, and served in the position for 6 months, then a call from another bank promoted a move where he worked as the Service Delivery and IT director up to 2015.
He joined another top bank in 2016, starting as the Group Director for IT in the office of the group COO then was promoted in 2019 to be the ICT Executive Director of the bank's subsidiary.
At the start of 2021, he was promoted to serve as the Group Shared Services Director where he has since served. Some reports however revealed that he left the position a few months ago under Voluntary Early Retirement.
Kenyans Share Harrowing Tales Of Going Through JKIA Customs
In a story that sparked uproar nationwide, leading to government allies announcing reforms at Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Customs and Border Control, this article captured Kenyans lamenting their woes at Customs anytime they return to the country via the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
On Monday, October 30, one Maxwell Otieno took to X (formerly Twitter) to warn Kenyans flying into the country through JKIA on carrying electronics from abroad.
"If you are coming to Kenya via JKIA please don't carry electronics. Either you pay 63% of the market value or leave the item. I've seen guys crying in the arrivals section. Imagine being charged 150k," he wrote.
His post sparked a flood of reactions from Kenyans lamenting how they were subjected to punitive measures by KRA officers stationed at the airport which is worse than regulations at other world airports.
Natasha Kimani, a public policy and governance advocate, narrated how the customs officials go to the extent of charging passengers for bringing in more than one bottle of perfume or alcohol, even with duty-free products.
"Apparently duty-free products bought abroad don’t apply here- we must still pay tax. An extremely unnecessary and hostile experience," she slammed.
Despite a user responding by stating that there is a 250ml limit for perfume imposed per person, Kimani stated "Actually they now say anything over 100ml for perfume is taxable now, even if duty-free and anything over 1L of alcohol. You can only have 1 100ml of perfume and not 250ml".
Another user complained that he was forced to boot up his one-year-old work laptop that he had travelled with to prove it was his and it was used, creating tension among foreigners arriving at the airport with the dread that they would be met with the same fate.
KRA thereafter dismissed the confusion that stemmed from its multiple deleted statements that the agency was planning to tax personal luggage valued at Ksh75,425 (USD500) or more.
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