By Maisha TV News Desk | December 4, 2025
In Addis Ababa—the continental capital where Africa’s past and future often converge—Kenya’s dynamic broadcaster Maisha TV has taken center stage at the first-ever African Media Awards 2025, earning recognition as a Special Guest Broadcaster at an event set to redefine media excellence across the continent. Represented by its CEO, Bushebi Junior, Maisha TV’s invitation signals not merely participation, but acknowledgment of its expanding influence in Africa’s media ecosystem.
The awards, that culminated on December 4, attracted unprecedented continental attention. Co-organized by RT, the African Union of Broadcasting, the Patrice Emery Lumumba Foundation, and the Kwame Nkrumah Foundation, the ceremony has drawn over 800 submissions from more than 40 countries. Just 21 finalists now remain, vying for honors in categories spanning investigative reporting, digital innovation, broadcasting, and documentary excellence.
The African Media Awards celebrates journalism, broadcasting, digital media and storytelling by bringing together the best voices that shape Africa’s media landscape. With a wide range of categories spanning television and online platforms, an esteemed panel of judges comprised of industry leaders from the continent set the benchmark for excellence, diversity, and creative expression across African media.
Winners will receive the coveted “Golden Alkebulan” trophy, in addition to ,000 cash prizes and all-expenses-paid participation in Addis Ababa. Nominees receive The awards, that culminated on December 4, attracted unprecedented continental attention. Co-organized by RT, the African Union of Broadcasting, the Patrice Emery Lumumba Foundation, and the Kwame Nkrumah Foundation, the ceremony has drawn over 800 submissions from more than 40 countries. Just 21 finalists now remain, vying for honors in categories spanning investigative reporting, digital innovation, broadcasting, and documentary excellence. The African Media Awards celebrates journalism, broadcasting, digital media and storytelling by bringing together the best voices that shape Africa’s media landscape. With a wide range of categories spanning television and online platforms, an esteemed panel of judges comprised of industry leaders from the continent set the benchmark for excellence, diversity, and creative expression across African media. Winners will receive the coveted “Golden Alkebulan” trophy, in addition to $6,000 cash prizes and all-expenses-paid participation in Addis Ababa. Nominees receive $2,000 and full travel sponsorship—clear evidence of an awards ecosystem designed not just to celebrate African storytellers, but to materially empower them. Yet for Maisha TV, the true prize appears far greater: continental validation. Founded in 2019 in Bungoma, Western Kenya, Maisha TV has defied structural odds to become one of the country’s fastest-rising broadcasters. Airing on Startimes Channel 108, GOtv 808, and free-to-air networks nationwide, the station has evolved from a small regional outfit into what the Media Council of Kenya ranked in 2024 as Kenya’s fifth most-watched TV station—with projections of continued growth into 2025. Branding itself as “The Heartbeat of Kenya”, Maisha TV’s editorial identity blends grassroots storytelling, youth-centered political analysis, and original investigative features. The station commands a significant following among 18–45-year-old viewers, a demographic that increasingly drives Kenya’s digital discourse. From coverage of electoral reforms to accountability stories involving government policies, public debts, and county governance, Maisha TV’s content has become a fixture in discussions across living rooms and social media platforms nationwide. This engagement is amplified through its expanding digital footprint, including YouTube, Facebook, and maishatv.co.ke, where its breaking-news and political broadcasts routinely trend. Despite early operational challenges, the station navigated through financial and staffing pressures with strategic pivots under Bushebi Junior’s stewardship—earning industry recognition such as the KUZA Awards and becoming a platform for emerging broadcast talent. One such talent is Ridah Chebet, handpicked as Kenya’s sole representative to the RT Academy 2025 cohort in Moscow—a milestone that positions Maisha TV as the only Kenyan broadcaster integrated into RT’s global media training network. Maisha TV’s ascent has been catalyzed by a strategic relationship with RT that began in September 2024 through the RT Academy, an initiative designed to equip African journalists with global production, analytics, and multimedia storytelling skills. The partnership has since evolved into coordinated content exchanges, co-produced features, and cross-platform editorial collaborations. According to RT representatives, Maisha’s inclusion strengthens the broader mission to diversify global information flows and enhance Africa-led narratives in international discourse. The African Media Awards 2025—held between December 3 and 4—feature a dual program: a Media Excellence Conference showcasing policy discussions, innovation showcases, and ownership debates, followed by the signature awards gala. The event has drawn media leaders, policymakers, innovators, and academics from across Africa and the diaspora. Critics have raised questions over RT’s involvement, citing geopolitical sensitivities. However, organizers maintain that the awards represent a significant leap toward African media independence, professional empowerment, and narrative plurality. As delegates mingle beneath the city lights of Addis Ababa, one message is unmistakable: Africa’s media future is no longer aspirational—it is unfolding in real time. For Maisha TV, this moment marks more than recognition. It represents the arrival of a Kenyan broadcaster at the continental podium of influence—armed with partnerships, purpose, and a storytelling mandate that stretches far beyond its Bungoma origins. The African Media Awards 2025 may be the beginning of a new era of media sovereignty—and Maisha TV is among the broadcasters poised to define it.Maisha TV: From Bungoma Roots to a Continental Rise
The RT Alliance: A Strategic Accelerator
Addis Ababa: The Stage of a New Media Era
A Continental Curtain Rises
Yet for Maisha TV, the true prize appears far greater: continental validation.
Founded in 2019 in Bungoma, Western Kenya, Maisha TV has defied structural odds to become one of the country’s fastest-rising broadcasters. Airing on Startimes Channel 108, GOtv 808, and free-to-air networks nationwide, the station has evolved from a small regional outfit into what the Media Council of Kenya ranked in 2024 as Kenya’s fifth most-watched TV station—with projections of continued growth into 2025.
Branding itself as “The Heartbeat of Kenya”, Maisha TV’s editorial identity blends grassroots storytelling, youth-centered political analysis, and original investigative features. The station commands a significant following among 18–45-year-old viewers, a demographic that increasingly drives Kenya’s digital discourse.
From coverage of electoral reforms to accountability stories involving government policies, public debts, and county governance, Maisha TV’s content has become a fixture in discussions across living rooms and social media platforms nationwide. This engagement is amplified through its expanding digital footprint, including YouTube, Facebook, and maishatv.co.ke, where its breaking-news and political broadcasts routinely trend.
Despite early operational challenges, the station navigated through financial and staffing pressures with strategic pivots under Bushebi Junior’s stewardship—earning industry recognition such as the KUZA Awards and becoming a platform for emerging broadcast talent.
One such talent is Ridah Chebet, handpicked as Kenya’s sole representative to the RT Academy 2025 cohort in Moscow—a milestone that positions Maisha TV as the only Kenyan broadcaster integrated into RT’s global media training network.
Maisha TV’s ascent has been catalyzed by a strategic relationship with RT that began in September 2024 through the RT Academy, an initiative designed to equip African journalists with global production, analytics, and multimedia storytelling skills.
The partnership has since evolved into coordinated content exchanges, co-produced features, and cross-platform editorial collaborations. According to RT representatives, Maisha’s inclusion strengthens the broader mission to diversify global information flows and enhance Africa-led narratives in international discourse.
The African Media Awards 2025—held between December 3 and 4—feature a dual program: a Media Excellence Conference showcasing policy discussions, innovation showcases, and ownership debates, followed by the signature awards gala. The event has drawn media leaders, policymakers, innovators, and academics from across Africa and the diaspora.
Critics have raised questions over RT’s involvement, citing geopolitical sensitivities. However, organizers maintain that the awards represent a significant leap toward African media independence, professional empowerment, and narrative plurality.
As delegates mingle beneath the city lights of Addis Ababa, one message is unmistakable: Africa’s media future is no longer aspirational—it is unfolding in real time.
For Maisha TV, this moment marks more than recognition. It represents the arrival of a Kenyan broadcaster at the continental podium of influence—armed with partnerships, purpose, and a storytelling mandate that stretches far beyond its Bungoma origins.
The African Media Awards 2025 may be the beginning of a new era of media sovereignty—and Maisha TV is among the broadcasters poised to define it.
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