Lolani Kalu, a seasoned Kenyan journalist and former NTV host renowned for his Swahili program “Malimwengu,” encountered serious financial difficulties after departing from the station in 2017, where he had worked for nearly 17-18 years. His departure has been described in various terms such as redundancy, layoff, or voluntary retirement.
His plight came to light in late 2020 when a social media post about his challenging circumstances in his rural home in Kaloleni, Kilifi County, went viral. This generated significant sympathy among Kenyans who began crowdfunding to support him.
A major setback in his life was a fraudulent scheme where he lost nearly KSh 1.5 million, which he had set aside for building a retirement bungalow either along Kangundo Road or in areas like Kamulu/Kangundo. He had hired a businessman, labeled as a “rogue businessman” or even a friend, for the construction work, but the contractor absconded with the funds, failing to complete the project and leaving Kalu with nothing. This incident occurred shortly after he left NTV, exacerbating his struggles.
In interviews with Kenyans.co.ke and others in 2020, Kalu detailed how this fraud, coupled with other challenges such as unpaid wages from a previous employer, medical bills for his deceased father, and an unsuccessful venture to start his own production company, placed him in a dire situation. He eventually moved back to Kaloleni, Kilifi County, to look after his elderly mother.
Following the viral attention of his story, many Kenyans came together to raise over KSh 200,000 to help him acquire equipment like a camera and computer, enabling him to resume freelance work. He subsequently secured roles, including playing “Babu” in the Citizen TV series Sultana, gaining reporting jobs, and continues to work in media today with Coco FM.
By TimesDigital