From A Bartender to A Top TV Host: NTV’s Kobi Kihara’s Story
It has not been a rosy affair for photographer, producer & TV presenter Kobi Kihara in her journey to success. She has endured so much on the way that has made here who she is today. The NTV morning show host was recently interviewed by Wangui Wachira where she divulged some fascinating facts about herself.
Here is an excerpt of the interview;
Who is Kobi Kihara?
Born 31 years ago, Kobi grew up in Kenya as the youngest of five children, one boy and four girls. Her parents were in and out of the country all the time, and when she was 15, they decided to move
from Kenya to Washington DC in the US to keep the family together. “The move had actually been in the works since I was 12, so for three years I had been preparing mentally for it, imagining what it would be like from what I had seen on TV.”
She was to attend a public high school, but the summer before she was to join, a shooting incident at the school changed her educational course and she was enrolled at a private international high school.
What was her experience like studying abroad?
“At the time, I didn’t like the high school experience because the transition was quite hard at the beginning. It was a huge opportunity for the entire family, but once we got there it was so different and foreign. Looking back, however, I realise it was fantastic to be in an international setting. I was the only Kenyan and I had friends from different parts of the world.
How did her family react to her suggestion of studying arts?
I told my parents that I wanted to study the performing arts and to be an actress. To a family of overachievers, it was one of those ‘Huh?’ moments.
“To make them understand what the programme was about, I broke down the details of the course to my parents. It helped that there is a creative streak running through my mum’s side of the family so, with their blessing, I was soon off to Newcastle University in the UK.
When did she begin photography?
After a year and a half, she returned to Newcastle to complete her degree. However, her graduation day coincided with her sister’s wedding back in Kenya, so she missed out on the ceremony and came home to share in the celebrations.
“I had just started getting interested in photography and had always wanted to work with children, so during this period I volunteered at Nyumbani Children’s Home before going back to Washington.
What happened after that?
I took some time off when I had finished my studies, to figure things out.”
This time off saw Kobi actively job hunting. She was able to land acting roles in three small films, two shot in the US and one in the UK.
That is when I decided I wanted to be behind the scenes; to have control and have a say about what was going on in front of the camera. When you are only in front of it, your opinion doesn’t count.
What kind of jobs was she doing to make ends meet?
The time off also took her to Paris, France, for three months, where she modelled briefly and did some photography.
When she got back, she took on a part-time bartending gig.
How did that work?
My sister talked to me about following through with my photography, so I enrolled at a nearby school for some courses. I would attend these in the morning and bartend in the evening. In 2004, I went back to school full time in Toronto to do my master’s in film and TV production. At graduation, everyone I had been studying with was working – apart from me. I just couldn’t find permanent employment.
HERE’s the second part of the interview.
