Top 10 most followed Kenyan celebrities on Twitter
Social media has taken over as the preferred mode of interactions between celebrities and their legion of fans.
From sharing snippets of their work, fashion and a dose of their daily lives, the stars have connected with their adoring fans and are able to bypass traditional media in communicating with them.
Here are some of the most popular Kenyan celebs on twitter. The list is dominated by TV news personalities and musicians. Film, sports and comedy stars have also sneaked in!
1. Jeff Koinange (@KoinangeJeff)- 611k followers
Oh My! The flamboyant self-confessed Classin Man sits atop of the most followed Kenyan celebrities with 611k followers. The former CNN and K24 newsman hosts his own show Jeff Koinange Live (JKL) and is quite an outgoing and loud fella!
2. Larry Madowo (@LarryMadowo)- 574k
Another TV man makes the cut. The eccentric host of one the top TV talk show, The Trend, is also quite popular on the Twitter streets. He’s loved and loathed in equal measure. Hopefully, Nairobi News will sneak into his show, some day!
3. Julie Gichuru (@JulieGichuru)- 513k
Remember the ululation during the GES 2015 summit at Gigiri as Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta and Barack Obama strode onto the stage? Yes! Julie’s African welcome antics only proved that she can be quite an attraction off the TV screen. She hosts Sunday Night Live on Citizen TV. She is known for her empathetic interviewing skills.
4. Lupita Nyong’o (@LupitaNyongo)- 395k
12 Years A Slave was not in vain. The Oscar winner is followed by 395k fans on Twitter and counting. Lupita’s rise to stardom has been steady since the days she would hustle for a role in stage plays at the then dilapidated Kenyan National Theatre. Her star is now shining bright and high in the corridors of Hollywood!
5. Carol Radull (@CarolRadull)- 237k
Sports lovers know why this ever smiling lady is popular. She hosts a sports show on Kiss and Classic FMs on weekends and apart from the radio, she has hosted various football shows on pan-African TV channel SuperSport. Witty and full of life, she knows her sports very well.
6. Victor Wanyama (@VictorWanyama) -180k
You will not find fans of a particular team chanting your name every match day, leave alone the fact that you are foreign. Wanyama has grown into a cult figure at Southampton FC in England and is one the most expensive African players in Europe. The former AFC Leopards SC midfielder is feeling lots of love on Twitter.
7. Sauti Sol (@SautiSol)-173k
When you give a performance and you are joined on the stage by two presidents, one of them the leader of the most powerful nation on earth, then you must be quite popular too online. The most successful boy band is also one of the best followed music bands in the region.
8. Shaffie Weru (@ShaffieWeru)-163k
The controversial radio host has mellowed with age. Shaffie Weru used to be known as the ultimate party guide in Nairobi. He would party hard, “chomaining picha” in the process. Perhaps his ignominious show at Nakuru 10 rugby tournament was the lowest he ever sunk. He was escorted out of the venue by bouncers drunk, disheveled and half-naked. Mafans still love him though!
9. Juliani (@JulianiKenya)- 145k
Juliani has carved a unique niche for himself in the unforgiving Kenyan music industry. He has stealthily moved from the gospel music artists bandwagon to producing quality social justice music. The move paid off as he has cut lucrative deals with various corporates and NGOs. The deals too seem to have come with a sizeable Twitter following.
10. Mwalimu Churchill (@MwalimChurchill) – 114k
The king of comedy makes people laugh on TV and online too. Mwalimu Churchill (Daniel Ndambuki) has quite a huge following online because of his witty and funny jokes in his weekly Churchill Show comedy show on NTV.
Did we leave anyone out?
PS: We did not include Twitter “bigwigs” whose only claim to fame is to starting trending topics and are entangled in various scandals ranging from extortion to flesh-selling.