Highest-Paid Radio Presenters in Kenya 2026: Maina Kageni, Jeff Koinange Top List

Kenya’s top radio presenters are pulling in salaries that rival top executives, and the breakfast show hosts are leading the pack.

Classic 105’s Maina Kageni and Hot 96’s Jeff Koinange sit at the top of the pay scale, each reportedly earning between KES 1.5 million and KES 2 million a month. Here’s how the country’s highest-paid voices on air compare.

Why breakfast shows pay so well

Morning radio in Kenya is an advertising goldmine. Breakfast shows pull the biggest audiences of the day, which means the biggest ad slots go there too, and presenters who can hold that audience for years get paid accordingly.

Kageni himself has confirmed in past interviews that his monthly pay from Classic 105 tops KES 2 million, a figure that Lang’ata MP and former radio host Jalang’o also backed when he broke down presenter pay on a podcast last year. None of these numbers are officially released by the stations themselves, so treat them as informed estimates rather than confirmed payroll figures.

The top five earners

• Maina Kageni (Classic 105): KES 1.5 million to 2 million, with some reports pushing the figure closer to 3 million once bonuses and ad commissions are factored in.
• Jeff Koinange (Hot 96 / Citizen TV): Around KES 2 million, making him one of the highest-paid media personalities in the country full stop, not just on radio.
• Daniel “Churchill” Ndambuki (Classic 105): KES 1.2 million to 1.3 million, on top of what he earns from his comedy business.
• Gatonye wa Mbugua (Kameme FM): Around KES 1.25 million, proof that vernacular radio pays just as well as English-language stations.
• Joseph “Gidi” Oyoo (Radio Jambo): KES 780,000 to 1 million, largely built on the popularity of his Patanisho segment reuniting estranged couples on air.

The rest of the top ten

Willy M. Tuva and Alex Mwakideu both sit around KES 800,000, hosting Mambo Mseto on Radio Citizen and mornings at Milele FM respectively. Radio Jambo’s Daniel “Mbusii” Githinji earns roughly KES 700,000, NRG’s Shaffie Weru around KES 682,000, and former Harambee Stars coach Jacob “Ghost” Mulee rounds out the list at about KES 600,000 for his co-hosting role on Patanisho.

These are the exceptions, not the rule. Most Kenyan journalists and radio staff, especially at smaller vernacular and community stations, take home closer to KES 15,000 to 50,000 a month. The gap shows just how much a loyal, decades-long following is worth to a station’s bottom line.