Flora Limukii: Secret Behind 24-Yr-Old TV47 Anchor's Viral Presence On Twitter

The year 2023 can arguably be seen as the year young journalists, including news anchors in Kenya finally establish their prominence in a media space currently dominated by digital disruption.

For many years, some of the biggest names in the news industry in the country have ruled television screens and radio airwaves as well as newspapers as they keep the public informed and up to date, as is the duty of any journalist. However, the rise of social media has afforded the youngest in the media industry a chance to air out their voices, directly and indirectly.

Liz Wambui Jackson, a journalist attached to Eddie Butita-owned Stage Presence Media (SPM) Buzz, became an overnight celebrity following her behind-the-scenes meeting with Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary (CS) Alfred Mutua at State House in November 2022, setting the precedence for young journalists to make headlines themselves.

This year, however, a 24-year-old news anchor is already making waves in one of the fastest-growing mainstream media platforms in Kenya. Meet TV47 political reporter and news anchor, Flora Limukii.

Flora Limukii during a past TV47 broadcast. /INSTAGRAM.FLORA LIMUKII

Limukii prides herself as an enthusiastic journalist in search of a fast-paced environment to work in as well as disseminate human interest-oriented and impactful stories.

She commands a sultry voice coupled with a smooth mastery of the English language which makes many remind themselves of certain BBC news anchors and veteran as well as current female anchors, but what many don't know is that she is a huge presence on Twitter.

Even though she is followed by nearly 9,000 people on the microblogging platform, Limukii's timely updates have been praised by many who go to the extent of interacting with the content, and in this world of changing journalism trends, those in the media industry are using their accounts more often to update their followers on what goes on every day.

"I mostly leverage updating people on the news because I’m in that industry. I also engage people on current affairs through interviews.

"One thing about creating content is to stay consistent and find out what your audience needs and focus on that. Finally, growth is gradual, and patience is key," she revealed in an interview with MNews Digital, which also ranked her amongst the top 10 most influential comrades on Twitter.

With such a following, many must wonder, does she reply to Direct Messages (DMs), given that Kenyan women with many followers receive a lot of messages that are unanswered?

Limukii told Viral Tea that she does reply to DMs...which is arguably a vital tool for those with personal accounts to build and keep relationships with an online audience.

Limukii has academic qualifications from Goethe Institute with a German B2 Level in German studies, meaning she is competent in written and spoken German. In addition, she has a Journalism and Media Studies degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Nairobi (UoN).

She began as a content creator at TUKO.co.ke on a contract basis in 2019 and was featured by the digital news giant in an opinion article where she called for Kenyans to actively participate in politics, terming it a necessity.

"Being a political literate does not mean actively involving yourself in political contests for seats, it means that you are in the know of what is going on in your country and keeping your leaders on their toes and most importantly participating in electoral processes.

"The health of a democracy depends on the political literacy of its citizens. The common saying of ‘mimi sipendi siasa’ (I do not like politics) by some Kenyans should come to an end. It is ironic to expect results from leaders who you did not elect," she stated on March 30, 2019.

According to Limukii, Kenyans should strive to be well-versed in the political landscape and be conversant with political leaders, adding that it is our democratic right to be engaged in politics hence we may never know what happens in our own country if we take a back seat.

"People think that focusing on other own business is more important because, in a corrupt country like ours, you cannot make a difference, which is a very wrong perception," she adds.

She then worked as a business reporter at the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) on an internship basis in 2019 and as a content writer for Opera News in 2020.

On the digital platform, she wrote about why former President Uhuru Kenyatta would not lift the nationwide night curfew and lockdowns imposed in 2020 to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, which was accurately predicted as he extended the curfew for 30 days. Cessation of movement in and out of Nairobi, Mombasa and Mandera counties was at the time retained.

In 2021, she was poached by Switch Media (formerly Switch TV) as a political reporter and producer. Months later, the station would halt its on-air broadcast during its digital transition, a move that left her and many other anchors out of work.

The move led to rival media houses raiding the Red Cross-owned station, among them being TV47, which poached Limukii in August 2022, during the same month of intense media coverage of the August 9 general elections. 

Since then, Limukii is setting a new precedence for reporters and journalists in the Generation Z-driven world.

TV47's Flora Limukii during live coverage of the Mashujaa Day celebrations at Uhuru Gardens on October 20, 2022. /FACEBOOK.FLORA LIMUKII