Veteran media personality and radio presenter CT Muga has shared his transformative journey from a playful youth to a dedicated teacher, then a research scientist, and finally a revered voice on Kenyan radio.
Through candid reflections on his past, cultural values, and musical memories, CT opens up about what shaped him and how he embraced change across decades.
“Charles Muga is a name that featured in two careers before joining the media, as a teacher and a research scientist,” CT explained on Friday, shedding light on why he chose the initials “CT” to craft a distinct identity in broadcasting.
Known widely as a seasoned breakfast show host, CT’s story began in a childhood defined by restless energy.
“I was hectic, completely hectic,” he admits with a chuckle. "It was a youthful phase that could have derailed his future, “a sort of mental trajectory that can mess up your entire career, if it isn’t rained in.”
The turning point came with his embrace of Christianity, which transformed his worldview.
Reflecting on his motivations for becoming a teacher, CT points to the powerful influence of one particular educator.
“Reverend Dodman taught me Christian Religious Education. He was an extremely understanding man, and it reflected in my results. I got a distinction.” Inspired, CT decided, “If a teacher can make an impact in my life, I can do the same for others.”
For 19 years, CT devoted himself to teaching, including six years as a head teacher. The classroom, he says, was a training ground beyond lessons.
“When you teach, you’re not just in a classroom, you are an administrator, you juggle a mixture of needs, staff, parents, ministry officials.”
These experiences laid a foundation for his next chapter.
After teaching, CT shifted gears, joining the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), where he worked for over 17 years.
There, he combined research with community engagement, especially in HIV and AIDS care.
“The communication element, the teaching, gave me a background to it.
” It was a role that allowed him to deepen his connection to society.
The leap to media came unexpectedly. A childhood acquaintance who was a program coordinator invited him to join a new station.
“They were looking for someone with a social science background, engaged in community work. It was a good fit.”
However, the transition was not immediate. “I had never worked in media before. It took me a year to acclimatize and understand what talk showing was all about.”
CT’s teacher’s mind shaped his approach in media. “Those who’ve taught tend to ask questions to clarify understanding. The way I look at things, how I ask questions, it was about seeking to understand.”
The progression felt natural. “There’s a continuum between teaching, community work, and media.”
Beyond the professional, CT invites us into his childhood world of the 1960s and ’70s. “I was not a serious student,” he says. “If anyone who was in primary school with me would tell you, I was naughty and playful.”
Psychology, studied later in education, helped him understand his youthful exuberance.
As head boy at school, CT learned responsibility but also the art of avoiding it. “The headmaster made me head boy to take responsibility, but I found ways not to be taken too seriously.” This balance defined his early social life.
Music was an important part of his upbringing and Radio was his sole broadcaster. “We listened to what our parents listened to, Jim Reeves, Dolly Parton, American country music.”
There were also local and regional sounds from bands like George Ramogi and musicians from Zaire such as Franco and Vicky Longomba, whose music was very nice and stuck with me.
Even now, CT’s musical tastes are eclectic. “I liked disco and Western music, the Gap Band, Earth, Wind & Fire, James Brown, and niche bands like Dire Straits, where I sometimes had no idea what they were singing.”
Dancing was also a joyful expression, “I used to like lifting my hand and pointing to the sky. That was my antenna.”
CT’s cultural reflections highlight values passed down from parents and grandparents. “Discipline and respect for elders were fundamental. We didn’t talk back.”
A unique family rule was that “if one person made a mistake, everybody got punished.”
This instilled “a bond and responsibility towards each other,” which he believes shaped the closeness of his siblings.
Family visits were frequent, often on foot, to relatives in rural areas.
“I grew up believing a house must be full of people, as we stayed with women relatives,” he said.
This communal upbringing mirrored the traditional African village ethos, even as his educated parents adapted to new urban living arrangements with bigger homes.
Comparing past and present, CT sees life as a matter of perspective.
“If you’re born when everyone goes barefoot, there’s no hardship, it’s normal,” he adds. “Even if parents had the means, they didn’t give you everything at once.”
Life was simpler, with fewer luxuries and limited clothing.
He notes the influence of tradition amidst change. His parents, part of the first African generation after independence, held firmly to cultural values that were gradually supplemented by Western habits.
Today’s generation faces a different reality shaped by the information age, and many children struggle to speak their mother tongue.
On raising children today, CT cautions against judgment, saying, “Every era has its people recognized by their age. The 21st century is your age. My parents belonged to a different age, the colonial age.”
The key to thriving across generations, he says, is “how willing you are to learn and adapt.”
CT Muga’s story is one of transformation and continuity, rooted in faith, enriched by education, and expressed through media.
It is a testament to embracing challenges, honoring heritage, and fostering understanding, bridging the past with the present through the power of voice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1d85X510o2s
