When celebrated TV anchor Betty Kyallo was making her major debut on mediamax network’s K24, the TV station instilled anxiety among Kenyans over the guest Betty was to bring on Friday 8:00 pm on her show, The Weekend with Betty.
The guest, whom everyone wanted to know was not revealed but instead termed as the mysterious VIP. This was in a move to keep viewers on the look so as to catch up with the show to see the mysterious VIP.
As a way of making Kenyans believe that there was indeed a mysterious VIP, the media house went ahead to hire expensive rides to be used in escorting the VIP. Limos and police chase cars could be seen moving slowly from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, through Mombasa road all the way to Villa Rosa Kempinski in Nairobi’s Westlands area.
#MysteriousVIP convoy from JKIA, you don’t wanna miss the reveal tonight tweeps! pic.twitter.com/EeMSrSAHQs
— K24 TV (@K24Tv) December 7, 2018
This left Kenyans imagining who the VIP was, with all those expensive rides and a full police escort, to the high class hotel in Westlands.
But did this work out? Well, 8:00 pm came, and the VIP had to be driven in the Limo to K24 studios at DSM place along Kijabe street. Guess what? The mysterious VIP was the show host herself, but how did Kenyans view this?
K24, a mediamax owned TV station has Deputy President William Ruto as the major shareholder. The PR stunt that was being played reached Kenyans from its negative side, with many reading malice in it.
#MysteriousVIP
Hustler’s strategy of advertising his channel #K24TV, all those hired limos, convoy….our tax . pic.twitter.com/NYesmvng9m— Carolyne Mbithe (@CarolyneMbithe) December 7, 2018
According to Kenyans on Twitter, taxpayers’ money was used to hire the Limos and then the police service ordered to provide escort to fool Kenyans about the mysterious VIP.
#MysteriousVIP is in town and is currently at @VillaRosaKempin. The big reveal is tonight only on @K24Tv. You don’t wanna miss it. pic.twitter.com/xDMnw4d6tw
— K24 TV (@K24Tv) December 7, 2018
See some of their reactions.
I stopped watching K24 when it became the only major TV station not to get switched off in January. @K24Tv is too pro-establishment for my liking #MysteriousVIP
— dollarBil (@biltraveler) December 7, 2018
Journalism in Kenya is on a whole new trash level. A woman reports to her new station, comes in a mini skirt, cleavage top and some #MysteriousVIP nonsense and everybody is all up in arms about it!!!
You cannot find this crap on CNN, BBC or AL Jazeera.
— Musajja Wakabaka (@pharrah) December 8, 2018
You ditch KTN for K24…… grace to grass
— Kiplagat Kibutia (@Iamkiplagat) December 7, 2018
My friends at @K24Tv are advertising news by Betty Kyallo as soft pornography. Are you selling fashion, looks and beauty or CONTENT? It is sad that news this days is all about fashion, looks and soft porn. The emphasis on content has been relegated to the dustbins of history.
— Lord Abraham Mutai, #ConsumersBeware (@ItsMutai) December 8, 2018