Media Personality Ahmed Juma Bhalo has had quite a journey in the media industry. He has worked for two media houses twice and also been laid off by one of them twice.
Bhalo kicked off his journey in the media industry (Mainstream) on December 22, 2011 as a trainee at Mediamax-owned station, K24, and left in August 2013 during a mass retrenchment.
In July 2014, he joined the state broadcaster KBC but his stay at the station was short-lived after K24 came calling again. He was poached by the TV station (K24) in November 2015, only to be laid off again in October 2019 during another mass retrenchment.
Fire Twice
“I also worked for K24 twice. I started as a trainee on 22nd Dec 2011 and left on Aug 2013 during a mass retrenchment. Joined KBC on July 2014 and left on Nov 2015 after K24TV poached me back. Only to be laid off again on Oct 2019 during another mass retrenchment” Juma Bhalo told the writer.
On June 15, 2021 Bhalo made yet another TV comeback, this time joining Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC). This is the second time he is working for KBC; July 2014 to November 2015 and now 2021.
“...and now I'm back at KBC. This will be a second time for me working at KBC. The first time was between July 2014 to November 2015 before i was poached by K24TV” Bhalo told Pulse Live.
TV Comeback
In a number of social media updates, an excited Bhalo mentioned that soon he will be anchoring Swahili news on KBC.
“Wengi mumekuwa mukiniuliza, 'AJB siku hizi uko wapi hatukuoni kwenye TV?' Sasa ni rasmi kuwa nimejiunga na Shirika la Kitaifa la Utangazaji nchini Kenya @kbc_television na hivi karibuni nitaanza kuwasomea tena habari za #kiswahili katika @kbcchannel1 InshaAllah. Mungu hashuki.Suit @lugo_collection
Photo @jmnyamwezi#anchor001 #swahiliflix #swahilination #sautiyakiswahili #habari #kenyafinest #igerskenya #mpashonews #pulselivekenya #ghaflakenya” shared Bhalo.
In October 2019, Bhalo penned down a farewell message to his K24 viewers, after the station retrenched a good number of its employees, in the quest to cut down costs.
Contracts
However, since exiting K24, Bhalo has been on contract with a number of Organizations. In March 2020 he joined the Aviation industry on a managerial role. He worked for an aviation college stationed at Wilson Airport for a month and a half before exiting after effects of Covid-19 downed on his employer.
In July 2020, he again joined RichLand properties Limited (Real Estate) as the head of Marketing department., but did not stay long at the company.
“Changamoto mpya inamaanisha nafasi mpya ya kujifunza mapya. Kila changamoto inayokukabili ni nafasi murwa ya kukuza ujasiri na ukakamavu wako pamoja na thamani yako. Jiamini unaweza. Shukran @richlandpropertiesltd kwa kunipa nafasi ya kuwahudumia kama mkuu wa kitengo cha mauzo na matangazo ya kibiashara. #anchor001 #richlandproperties #rental #254propertylinks #property254 #kenyarental #kenyahome #kenyanhomes #buykenyabuildkenya #madeinkenya” wrote Ahmed Juma Bhalo.