Whether we are jinxed or not I do not know. But what is for certain is that the Christian media industry has been very slow in fashioning media personalities. And we speak not of that dreaded ‘celebrity’ word – the one that makes individuals think they are more superior, smarter and better looking than all the rest because they were featured in the press for all of five seconds. What we are talking about are personalities; media personalities. The ones who can stand up and represent the Christians in the media industry by virtue of their experience, proficiency and longevity.

Secular media has done just that, and given an opportunity, one can rattle off presenter after presenter whose skill and durability allow them to stand head and shoulders above their peers. Maybe it’s the lack of variety when it comes to Christian media houses, the high turnover of presenters, or even the fact that many leave the fellowship of believers once they have “made it big” (in their eyes, at least!) Whatever the case, it leaves us, in the Christian fraternity, at a loss.

Well, one presenter who has bucked the trend is Easy FM’s morning host Gladys Gachanja.

Not only has she been on air for over three full years, and counting, she has also garnered a sizeable and immensely loyal listenership in the process. One need only listen to her broadcasts and the number of repeat call-ins her programs receive to be thoroughly convinced of her status in the industry. She has slowly but surely worked her way into the hearts of many, surely converting them from passive listeners to an active community.

The saccharine voice of Gladys can be heard every weekday morning between 5 and 6 am, and Sunday mornings between 6 and 10 am, as she delivers a healthy dose of insight, inspiration and encouragement. She has indeed become – a true radio personality.

And even though Gladys has evolved into a true radio personality, with listeners both far and wide, very little is known about this remarkable lady, yet her life overflows with streams of inspiration most likely to inspire off-air, just as well as she does it on-air.

Family & Upbringing
Gladys Gachanja was born and bred in the town of Nakuru, and even though her childhood was not fraught with misfortune, she admits that a number of painful incidences shaped her into the person she is today.

Growing up as the first born in a family of three, she got accustomed to responsibility at an early age. But at the time she had the steadying hand of her father and the loving touch of her mother to keep her head screwed on straight. Well, the year 2002 dealt her a cruel blow, one she still smarts from more than four years later.

Gladys lost her father in 2002, an incident that left her deeply traumatized and on the brink of some serious depression.

Her father had always been an inspiration since her early childhood, and being the first born and only daughter she was swamped with his love. His love and encouragement so shaped her life, that she even gave serious thought to following him into his line of business, insurance. He, along with a number of partners, owned a growing insurance business in Nakuru; that was until he met his very untimely death. In a flash, the family went from business owners to near paupers, as the business partners moved quickly to consolidate their interest in the business, and in the process cutting out the Gachanja’s from a piece of the pie.

If prior to this responsibility was important, it now became paramount. Gladys, unprepared and hurting, had to take on a larger role in her family. And so did her mother, a trained teacher who was forced to dive head first into the murky waters of insurance entrepreneurship. Starting off an insurance business soon was crucial, as it helped to maintain continuity and add credence to the new venture.

All the while Gladys was continuing with her studies at Daystar University. She had earlier finished her O-levels from Mary Leakey Girls High School, and was preparing for further education. Her mother was not too pleased when she heard that her first born daughter was considering a career in journalism, as she had always associated it with the images she saw of reporters getting roughed up by rogue policemen.

Nonetheless Gladys persistence got her a place at Daystar University, a move that had a profound effect on her life. Admittedly, Gladys was always a fairly disciplined person throughout her childhood, but she had never really made a firm decision for salvation. This was the place that would allow her to not only yield her life to Christ, it also begun to shape her as an individual and as a media lover.

Media
After completing her Communications degree, Gladys hustled for internship at a good number of media houses before she made any serious headway. Dropping CV after CV, she felt a strange gravitational pull urging her to check out the Nation Media Group. Her desire at the time was to get into television broadcasting, and eventually a door opened up, allowing her a seven week internship program at the then Nation TV (now NTV).

Initially she served as assistant producer for the financial industry broadcast Business Journal. It was through sheer chance that she got to meet two gentlemen; the first gave her some light training in radio production while the second, Phil Matthews, Group Head of Radio, liked her voiced and facilitated her switch to radio.

It wasn’t long before Gladys started doing weather and traffic reports on radio, eventually moving to the live news bulletin hot seat. The shift of presenters from one radio station to another created a gap for Gladys to fill. When Nation FM’s Soul Food presenter Maryanne Kariuki followed the steps of predecessor Tichi Nyasani out of the station Phil Matthews asked Gladys to promptly fill in the vacant slot of the show presenter.

That was in 2003, and three years down the line Gladys has managed to stay afloat in the tumultuous waters of on-air broadcasting. And just to illustrate the perilous nature of the job, the only other staff members still at the station (now Easy FM), are presenter Bernard Otieno and drive-time humorist Munene Nyaga. Her thriving as a Christian program host in a secular environment has been no mean feat, as she has seen them come and go, many falling by the wayside. Today, she is one of Gospel broadcasting’s longest serving hosts, continually delighting and inspiring a burgeoning legion of fans. And as she looks back on all she has been through to get to where she now is, the affable presenter says:

Gladys has managed to thrive in radio by remaining true to her individuality, and never trying to emulate her predecessors. She also equates her longevity to being disciplined and self-willed in the pursuit of her dreams. Gladys confesses that she is very passionate about the program, and event though the accolades have started pouring in, including a recent Impact Award for Best Radio presenter, she readily admits that she is not in it for the money. She sees the show, now called Easy Inspiration, as a God given mandate and her personal ministry.

Gladys believes that her show is different from other gospel shows in other Christian media and she has her own audience who tune in for inspiration. She also ascribes to the notion that everyone needs inspiration, and she is out to offer it the best way she can. And what a good job she is doing at it as well.

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