For years, Bwabi Isaya’s workplace was a security gate in Kilimani, Nairobi, where he watched people come and go while quietly nurturing a dream of becoming a journalist.
Armed with nothing more than his Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), the young man from Bungoma had little idea how he would break into the competitive media industry.
Isaya’s Turning Point
However, his determination to pursue journalism eventually brought him face-to-face with someone who would change the course of his life.
Isaya, who was working for a security company and stationed at Kilimani Court, approached renowned journalist Alex Chamwada and asked him to help him pursue his dream.
Rather than dismissing his request, Chamwada saw potential in the young security guard and offered him an opportunity that would eventually take him beyond the gates he had spent years guarding.
Isaya recounted how his mentor supported him to enrol at the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication (KIMC), where he pursued a certificate in Film Production.
Chamwada Educated Isaya
Chamwada paid his full tuition fees and upkeep, giving him an opportunity to acquire the skills he needed to enter the media industry.
Isaya graduated in 2023 and joined Chams Media as a photojournalist, marking a significant transformation from the security guard who once watched over the company’s premises.
His professional growth has since seen him acquire additional skills in driving, drone flying, scripting, graphic design and video editing.
The former security guard has since been accredited by the Media Council of Kenya, obtained a passport and travelled to several local and regional destinations for assignments.
Isaya’s First Flight
Isaya’s first experience aboard an aeroplane came in September 2023, when he was still an attachee at the media house.
He travelled from Nairobi to Malindi to cover the Galana Kulalu Food Security Project. For someone whose professional life had started at a security gate, the flight was a significant milestone.
Since then, Isaya has had opportunities to travel and work alongside prominent personalities, including World Bank Country Director Qimiao Fan.
However, one of the biggest highlights of his career came recently when he travelled to Singapore for the Daring Abroad Show’s Singapore Special Edition.
