James Okumu (Photo/Krista Matheny)

“That time in my life was one of those experiences you can’t forget easily”, he begins, in recalling his journey there. “My wife and I were having a really hard time; we were even kicked out of our house because we couldn’t pay rent. Miraculously, God provided the money on the very last day, and we were able to move to a new place.”

Apparently, the provision also included a caring neighbor who would help the young couple out every now and then. Unbeknown to James and his wife, their neighbor had noticed that he had a good voice for radio, and convinced Family FM to give him a voice test. One day, she just turned up with an invitation for an interview for James.

He went, and after the voice test, all the Station Manager asked was whether he wanted the job, and that was it. His affair with radio had begun in earnest. So it might come as a surprise when he was there for only nine months. His calling came in a different direction, and he didn’t hesitate to answer to it. Says James:

So James became Pastor Jemoh for nine years, working not only with his church’s youth but youth pastors all over the city. In 2007, James recalls that people a number of his friends began to ask him about radio, and intimated that he should get back to it. Although his passion for radio had never died, he believed that if God ever wanted him back on radio, He would make a way for that to happen, and continued with his work.

Pastor Jemoh and his wife Maureen with Kirk Franklin during Xtreme Weekend 2007.

Then ‘out of the blue’, Hope FM called him towards the end of 2009 and asked if he would consider taking over their breakfast show, Activate. For James, this was the door he’d been waiting for, and he opted to go for it. This meant that he had to give up his pastoral responsibilities, something that he says wasn’t easy to do but was necessary, even though not everyone understood.

So how has it been like on Activate and Hope FM? James is relishing every moment of it. He’s brought in fresh ideas to the show and his own style of doing it has quickly earned him fans. He talks to them both on and off-air, giving practical uncompromising lessons in life; his devotions come out of life experiences that are endearingly personal, and his ease with both the younger and older segments of the population have brought new energy to the show. He acknowledges that his experience as a pastor and the high recommendation he got for the job have served him in good stead with both his workmates at Hope FM and his listeners.

It hasn’t been all easy though – the job has its fair share of challenges, not least the demanding listeners! Says James:

The father of three is looking to be around for as long as God wants him there, he says.

One last thing – after God and his family, James’ next love is probably the Volkswagen. He’s owned several, and is so passionate about it that he and his friends founded the somewhat curious VW Anonymous – a place for VW lovers and their families to indulge in their love of the Volk. The joy of the Volk, James says, lies in its simplicity. "You can take the thing apart and put it back together in a couple of hours!". Its makers would probably not agree, but that's James, ever practical, ever looking for things to 'build', even if it means taking them apart first!

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