As we enjoy every show on national television and hold dear the faces that we see, that we generally know to represent our favourite shows, several other amazing and talented professionals work hard behind the scenes to ensure we are well entertained and informed.
For lovers of Citizen TV, you may have on several occasions heard Jeff Koinange call out the name 'Monica'. "Monica, take us to break," you can sometimes hear Jeff say.
In this segment, Nairobileo.co.ke takes a look at the impressive career of Citizen TV super-producer Monica Kiragu, a veteran and respected name in the media industry.
File image of Citizen TV producer Monica Kiragu. |Photo| Courtesy|
Confident, hardworking, a go-getter, are just some of the many adjectives you could use to describe the silent genius behind Jeff Koinange's larger than life persona.
Kiragu began her career with the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) back in 2002, before later joining Citizen TV in 2012.
After school, she first got my attachment at KBC as a production assistant on the Vioja Mahakamani show and kids programs.
With time, an opportunity came for News anchors and News directors at the KBC newsrooms and that is how she began to rise.
Her experience in the game shows in the quality of her production which pays a lot of attention to detail.
"It is a balancing act with a lot of moving pieces and you have to always be on your toes," she once disclosed during a past interview.
Working at KBC for 10 years, she rose through the ranks to become the head of news production. At Citizen TV, Kiragu is the head of directors.
During an interview with a local daily, Kiragu revealed that she drew inspiration for becoming a producer from watching local television shows as she was growing up.
"When I was growing up, I used to watch Vioja Mahakamani and Vitimbi on KBC. When the credits would roll, I used to see the title ‘kiongozi’. I would always ask my late dad what that title meant and he used to try and explain to me every time I asked even if I did not fully understand," she said.
File image of Citizen TV producer Monica Kiragu. |Photo| Courtesy|
Her rise to the top, however, was not a walk in the park. She has been tried and tested at various levels, working on various shows and different personnel to ensure success.
She describes the life of a producer as a balancing act with a lot of moving pieces that require one to always be on their toes.
"You have to make sure you have stories and hence you have to keep checking in with news reporters you manage as they edit their stories. You always have to have a plan B if the story you’re chasing is not ready on time. The news program has to start on time, the news anchors I manage have to be prepared and available.
"The lighting has to be perfect, the sound should be good and tested, and the graphics have to be prepared. I also have to liaise with transmission controllers to ensure we’re all on the same page with the exact time the program should air. With all these responsibilities, maintaining a calm demeanour will help you keep your crew calm and allow them to deliver," Kiragu says.
While working with anchors, she aims at creating a solid relationship between her and them, ensuring that they know they can trust her.
Kiragu notes that the success of a show is down to teamwork between herself and the anchors.
However, her job is not without challenges.
"A lot rides on your decisions as a news director. One wrong move and your whole team fails. It is like constantly being in a hot seat. Sometimes the sound fails, you don’t have a news anchor or you’re late to go on air. It is through these mistakes that I have managed to polish my skills because I’ve learnt from them and now I’m better at my job," she said.
Kiragu advice upcoming producers to do their research, specialize in something they like and have a passion for, know their strengths and once they have mastered an area they like, learn about the other areas.
"Love your job and you’ll always deliver more than is expected and excel," she says.
File image of Citizen TV producer Monica Kiragu and Jeff Koinange. |Photo| Courtesy|
Working with Jeff Koinange
During an interview with a local daily, she revealed that when Jeff first joined Citizen TV, producers and directors feared working with him.
Kiragu stated that Jeff portrayed a tough demeanour which made other staff question whether they can work with him perfectly or handle him on-screen.
She was challenged by her colleagues to take up the challenge and produce JKLive. They had encouraged her and told her that she had what it takes to make the show the success it has grown to become.
"Jeff is two years old because that same Wednesday, when he came, everyone was like 'hey, this one is tough, no one can handle him'.
"So my team told me, 'Hey Monica huyu wewe ndio utawork na yeye, tunaskia ni mkali sana. (Monica, it's only you who can work with him, we hear he is very tough)' so that's how we started," she narrated during the May 2019 interview.
Kiragu also revealed that Jeff is a big name in the industry so people feared working with him. He had moved from KTN and his show was one of the highest-grossing at the time.
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