Introducing… Top Presenter Edith Kimani

By Stevens Muendo

With multiple cameras lighting her up and thousands of fans watching the live telecast that Sunday evening, 20-year-old Edith Kimani counted down the minutes with bated breath.

Restless and anxious, the slender beauty momentarily seemed to lose her cool. She thrice stood up and stretched before sitting down for the final verdict.

Koome Gitobu, her friend of many years was now the only barrier between her and fame and fortune after a two and half months stay in the academy.

Edith Kimani

This is one day she wished her departed father, who had passed on only a few weeks ago, had lived to see. For a moment, she stole a long glance to her mum Ruth and two sisters; Pauline (16) and Samantha (12) deep in prayer. And in the twinkle of an eye Edith had been crowned the winner of The Presenter show beating Gitobu and Peter Karani.

"This is a whole new life for me. I am overwhelmed. I thank God, my family and my fans who voted for me," she told Pulse during an interview minutes after she was awarded her contract certificate.

"It has been a spontaneous process and now it’s over. But after tonight, I realise that this excitement has to stop and work has to begin," she added.

Her mother was in tears of joy and her sisters could not hide their jubilation as they hugged in front of the beaming cameras and flashing lenses.

Sister’s challenge

The entire Standard Group hierarchy and the show’s co-sponsors mobile service providers Yu as well as popular anchors Beatrice Marshall, Njoroge Mwaura, Lilian Muli, Esther Arunga and Janet Mbugua who also coupled as the emcee of the night (alongside Fareed Khimani) joined in the celebrations. The crowd applauded Edith as the ultimate winner of The Presenter.

"It all started from a challenge from my sister Samantha who asked me to try during the auditions. My entire family then pushed me to it and I gave it my all," said the charming humble USIU student, who is now considering taking journalism alongside her International Relations studies.

"I started acting when I was eight years old and since then I have been perfecting my creativity and artistic prowess a major advantage which I believe gave me an edge in this competition," she explained.

"It has been a whole 12 weeks of learning. I now know that TV presentation means more than standing before the screen and reading from the auto cue. I have come out more mature than I was and I’m ready to take on the challenges that come with it."

The young talent who describes herself as humble, ambitions and creative knows well that she is now joining the home of the best TV presenters.she is well aware of the pressure and challenges that await her before expectant viewers.

Staying up late

But this does not intimidate her. She has always had a love for news presenting since she was young and she remembers how she had to stay up late watching CNN and dreaming that one-day she would be on TV. Now, her dreams have come true.

"I know the pressure will soon be on me. People might say that I am the next Lillian Muli, Janet Mbugua or Esther Arunga. But I want to be my own self. I respect all those prolific anchors and they inspire me a lot. But I don’t want to walk in anyone’s shoes. I am ready to breath new life to TV news anchoring," she says adding that though she admires famous TV hosts such like Larry King, she would want to rise to stardom as "herself".

"I am unique. I am innovative. I would like to go there and engage viewers in a way that will get people listening," she adds. Edith applauds Karani and Koome whom she describes as "talented competitors who gave me a run for the money".