Acclaimed investigative journalist, John-Allan Namu has opened up on his salary both at KTN and NTV as well as his biggest financial regret.
Opening up on his regrets during the Financially Incorrect show on Friday, Namu stated that splashing Sh1.5 million in his wedding in 2010 was an area that things could have been handled differently.
According to the journalist, they had planned for a small wedding expecting 200 guests, only to end up with 600, a significant increase that saw the budget shoot up significantly.
"Our (with his wife) cap was 250 people, and the list just kept growing and growing. We were told to sit in a corner and wait for the budget. If there is one big regret I have, it is caving into that pressure. That money would have done so much.
"I took a loan to pay for part of the budget. My wife had to sell her car, and we used our savings," Namu stated.
Salary at KTN and NTV
The award-winning journalist revealed that his starting salary as a KTN reporter in 2005 was around Sh35,000.
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Over the years, with subsequent raises and promotions, the amount would increase to Sh160,000.
This was his salary when Nation Media Group-owned NTV came calling in 2010 when he parted ways with KTN.
"I was getting married and we had a child with another on the way. That money made sense and that was part of the reason why I left. I stayed there (Nation) for two to three years and got one salary raise and a bonus," Namu explained during the interview.
He would head back to KTN three years later with an offer of close to Sh400,000 and a clothing allowance of Sh100,000.
"That really helped me to save more, and with the types of schools that I enrolled my children at. It did change how I lived," Namu recounted.
He attributed his growth over the years to his deliberate efforts to continuously learn and improve his skillset and brand, a good work ethic and willingness to take up extra roles, something that saw his expand his knowledge base and skills.
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He was also dedicated to his studies, taking relevant courses as his career progressed.
After horning his skills for several years, teamed up with other investigative journalists to co-found Africa Uncensored.