Jeff Koinange Hosts Senator Sifuna in Side Chat at Machoka 50 Year Celebration

Broadcasting royalty and political heavyweights gathered in Nairobi on Saturday as veteran presenter Fred Obachi Machoka marked five decades in the media. The celebration, held at Ulinzi Sports Complex on October 10, 2026, was branded the Machoka @50 Grand Concert.

Among the evening’s highlights was a side chat between Citizen TV anchor Jeff Koinange and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, a pairing that drew keen attention from the crowd.

Sifuna’s arrival had already set the tone. He was cheered as he was ushered to a seat near the front, and was later seen embracing Machoka, who was dressed in red.

The senator had been warming up to the occasion all week. On October 6, while welcoming veteran media personalities to the Senate, he joked that high ticket prices might keep him away, then assured the gathering that he would be there.

He also quipped that if Mrs Machoka were asked to name her best senator, the answer might surprise people.

Koinange, for his part, had been part of the build up. Singer Nameless shared photos from a gathering at JKL on October 8, showing Machoka alongside Koinange, Patrick Njiru and Mwalimu Churchill.

The concert itself honoured a remarkable career. Machoka has promoted African music and culture through radio and television, and hosts the popular rhumba show Roga Roga on Radio Citizen and Citizen TV. Congolese star Koffi Olomide headlined, joined by Mbilia Bel and Sam Fan Thomas.

The tributes have been widespread. Senators from across the country praised him in the Senate, with Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka crediting him with teaching him Lingala. The Media Council of Kenya also recognised him in July for his fifty years on air.

For many guests, the night was as much about friendship as music. Fans, colleagues and leaders came together to thank the man known affectionately as Uncle Fred for a lifetime behind the microphone.

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