Citizen TV’s Cheche is one of the leading political talk shows in Kenya. Usually in the hot seat are politicians and people similarly connected with state affairs. One of the three panelists is Media Institute director, David Makali, who also appears on Sunday Live on the same station as a political analyst.
“Citizen TV were looking for credible people who can hold politicians to account,” David Makali, 42, says.
“All my years as a journalist, I have never been bribed to publish or not to publish a story by anyone. I can stand on the tallest building in the city and say that I am clean. That enables me to question, engage and face off with anybody without fear or reservations.
I thoroughly enjoy my work on Cheche and Sunday Live because they are useful to the country.
"Politicians don’t want to come on Cheche. If you have nothing to hide and can explain yourself, you should be able to face the public.
"I represent the public there and will raise anything that I think is in the interest of the public.”
David, who also has a column in the Star newspaper, studied political science at Moi University and journalism at the University of Nairobi. In 2001, he earned his master’s in journalism at Columbia University.
“Journalism is a career that you must have passion for. It’s not just about earning your sustenance. I studied political science and literature to pursue my ideals: a quest for justice and equality and change. They have been my driving forces in my life and career.”
David’s career in journalism spans over 20 years. He has worked for The People, Nairobi Law Monthly and The Standard Newspaper. In 2005, he worked as communications manager and director of campaign for the Orange team that opposed the 2005 draft constitution.
Throughout his career, he has been persecuted for printing the truth, but the worst moment was in 1999, when he was abducted and brutally assaulted.
“I had published a 14-page expose on drug trafficking in Kenya on Expression Today. It had all the names of the drug traffickers and their dealings. I was grabbed in the streets by about eight men, shoved into a van and driven off to Karura forest, where they beat me up.
"I was convinced that they were going to kill me. Then one of them told the others to let me go. I didn’t know if they were going to shoot me in the back but true enough, they drove away. Nothing was ever done.
"Even though I still see those men today, I had forgiven them long time ago.”
Although he says there’s been pressure on him to venture into politics, he has no plans of doing so.
On the current political scene, Makali says there’s a good crop of female presidential candidates, but he is pessimistic about a woman presidency just yet – “there are too many forces against them”. As for a youth leadership:
“The youth are not reliable and will not be a denning factor in the forthcoming elections. I don’t think they can cause much change even if they took office.”
Who, then, will save Kenya?
“A leader who is focused and strong-willed,” he says. “The problem is people have loyalties of tribe and region and that blinds their judgement. That is the problem: the best candidate may not be able to win because of these factors.”
As for him, David says, he will be true to what he believes. “In my life, I am very clear on what is right and wrong. There is no grey area. I try to inspire people by living up to what I preach. I get calls and e-mails from people commenting on what I do and that encourages me to go on.”
He is married with “very many children,” adding “In Africa, is it right to say the number of children you have?” he jokes.
He loves music and is the Director at Sound Africa, a record company.
Courtesy of True Love Magazine