Multimedia Journalist & Storyteller — Nairobi, Kenya
Strategic communicator and multimedia producer with a track record across broadcast TV, digital news, radio, independent film, and institutional videography. I find stories that matter — then find the sharpest way to tell them.
01 — Writing
Sustainability Watch
A ground-level examination of the tracking failures and survival challenges threatening Kenya's flagship reforestation programme.
Economy
While 84% of adults have bank or mobile money accounts, only 16% are financially healthy — unpacking why access isn't the same as inclusion.
Politics
A generational and ideological fracture that could reshape Kenya's opposition landscape ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Tech & Rights
The data protection regulator confirms full compliance with directives to delete iris scan data following suspension of Worldcoin operations in Kenya.
Governance
Renewed push in the Senate to strip elected leaders' names and images from publicly funded infrastructure.
Law & Justice
A ruling that reshapes the legal landscape for personal injury claims and sets new boundaries for an overwhelmed court system.
Africa Desk
On-the-ground coverage of Uganda's contested 2026 election and the opposition's dispute over the provisional count.
Business
Part of a sustained run of coverage on the Safaricom divestment story and its data-sovereignty and control implications.
02 — Broadcast
An investigative piece examining the tension between Kenya's informal sector — the backbone of millions of livelihoods — and government policies that may be working against it.
Watch on YouTubeTV47 — Feature Report
A viral assault video sparks national outrage and opens a wider conversation about the systemic devaluation of Kenyan workers and labour protections.
More TV47 Work
Additional broadcast segments and features available on the TV47 Kenya YouTube channel.
TV47 Channel03 — Video & Film
Institutional Videography — USIU-Africa
USIU-Africa — Facebook
Institutional videography produced and shot for USIU-Africa's official Facebook page, capturing campus life and community.
TikTok Content
USIU-Africa — TikTok
Short-form video produced for USIU-Africa's TikTok platform — shot, directed and edited independently.
Watch on TikTokLive Social Coverage — #ExperienceUSIU Culture Week 2024
USIU-Africa — Facebook
Behind-the-scenes footage shot for USIU-Africa's official Facebook page as part of the coordinated #ExperienceUSIU #GlobalFusionFiesta media campaign covering Culture Week 2024.
USIU-Africa — X / Twitter
Real-time social media coverage produced as part of USIU-Africa's media team live-tweeting Culture Week 2024.
News Vlogs
News Vlog
A personal video-essay exploring the growing intersection of artificial intelligence and mental health support systems.
News Vlog
A firsthand account of the voter registration process in Kenya — barriers, bureaucracy, and what civic participation actually looks like on the ground.
Audio-Visual Podcasts
A/V Podcast — ft. Abass Mpindi
A conversation with media professional Abass Mpindi on merit, networks, and what it actually takes to build a career in African media.
A/V Podcast — ft. Rachel Akidi
Rachel Akidi joins to dissect how African media is transforming — from legacy broadcast to digital-first storytelling, and what gets lost in translation.
Independent Film
Independent Short Film · Written & Directed by JKO
An independently produced short film — a personal project that demonstrates the full range of John Kennedy Otieno's craft: from concept and script through camera work and final cut.
Watch the film04 — Leadership
USIU-Africa
Jul 2024 – Oct 2024
USIU-Africa
Oct 2023 – Oct 2024
05 — Toolkit
Production & Multimedia
Adobe Premiere ProFinal Cut ProDSLR VideographyPhotographyBroadcast PackagingPodcast ProductionLive StreamingRadio ProgrammingCommunications & Strategy
OSINTDigital VerificationSocial Media ManagementContent StrategyBrand StrategyAudience DevelopmentEchobox CMSBreaking NewsLanguages
EnglishKiswahiliFrench — DELF/DALF B2SpanishLuoLet's work together
Open to full-time roles, freelance commissions, and collaborative projects across journalism, film and communications.
About John Kennedy Otieno
John Kennedy Otieno is a Nairobi-based multimedia journalist, broadcast TV producer, and videographer with a track record spanning digital news, television, radio, and independent film. He has reported and published across beats including Kenya's governance landscape, economic policy, environmental accountability, legal developments, and technology — establishing himself as one of the sharper young voices in Kenyan journalism. His byline appears across 49 published pieces at Capital FM Kenya, and his broadcast work has aired on TV47.
As a broadcast journalist and TV producer, John has produced and presented investigative features for TV47 Kenya, tackling subjects from Kenya's informal hustle economy to labour rights and civic participation. His work as a videographer in Nairobi includes institutional production for USIU-Africa and independently directed short films — most notably Jane, a self-produced short that demonstrates full command of the filmmaking process from script to final cut.
John is also the creator and host of an audiovisual podcast exploring media, careers and ideas in the African context — with episodes featuring media industry figures including Abass Mpindi and Rachel Akidi. His institutional leadership credentials include reviving USIU Radio after a two-year closure, founding the inaugural USIU-Africa Media Week, and serving as Editor in Chief of the university yearbook — delivering a 196-page publication on time and to 1,200 print copies.
A multilingual communicator fluent in English, Kiswahili, French (DELF/DALF B2), Spanish and Luo, John brings rare range to cross-cultural storytelling across East Africa and beyond. His technical toolkit spans Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, DSLR camera operation, OSINT, digital verification, social media strategy, and CMS management.
John Kennedy Otieno is open to full-time journalism roles, freelance reporting commissions, video and documentary production, content strategy, and media training engagements across Kenya, East Africa and internationally. To commission work or discuss opportunities, reach him at jkennedyotieno@gmail.com or connect on LinkedIn.