Yvonne Buliba Okwara Matole, Journalist and News Anchor at Citizen TV. IMAGE: Instagram
Yvonne Buliba Okwara Matole is a renown Kenyan media personality. She is a news anchor at Royal Media Services (RMS) on Citizen Television. She always broadcasts the 9:00pm news. Yvonne is well-known for her special news segment, the explainer in which she demystifies the ambiguous matters on trending topics. The media personality has hosted national discussions on various topics such as civic education on Kenya’s constitution and historic 2013 elections.
Yvonne Okwara Age, Parents, Family and Place of Birth
Yvonne is 39 years old as of the year 2022. She was born on 16th March 1983 in the western region of Kenya. She is the last born of three children to Ms. Esther Ambale Sande. Details about her father are not yet in the public domain. READ FULL STORY
Yvonne Okwara and her mother Esther Ambale Sande. Image Source: Instagram
In 2018, Yvonne unfortunately lost her brother Albert Okwara, aged 50. Albert had been living with a disability as deaf-blinded before he succumbed to the German measles, that came during his mother’s pregnancy. In 2019, this made Yvonne to take it to social media in a long post which he titled as ‘My Journey with Albert Okwara’
“The world of disability is a lonely one! The road has been lined with tears, pain, dashed hopes. But it has also had wonderful lessons that have made me who I am today! Let me explain, Albert is deaf-blind. He does not see, speak or hear,” This is part of the long post that she posted.
The German measles disease brought more complications in Albert’s life by causing mental retardation, deafness, and blindness. Yvonne’s mother sought for medication but her efforts bore no fruits.
Yvonne Okwara Education Background
Yvonne is an alumnus of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT). She pursued her Bachelor’s Degree in BSc Microbiology, Zoology, Botany, Chemistry.
Yvonne started hosting the KBC’s children variety show at the age of 10 years. From the year 2008, she became a Radio Talk Show Producer of QFM; she was also given a chance to do her voice over for money matters NTV business show.
Nation Media Group (NMG) later opened up QTV and she was given a task as a producer. She later moved to KTN in November 2012 on a contract assignment. Her five years contract at KTN ended in 2018 and she decided not to renew it and instead joined Citizen TV as a news anchor. Apart from working with Royal Media Services, Yvonne does voice-overs for TV shows such as Samantha Bridal show that airs on NTV.
The TV anchor got her first job at Walker’s hotel where she used to be paid peanuts of Kshs. 150. Okwara later Joined KTN as a news anchor. She was granted the opportunity and later elevated to be a Senior Anchor and content producer.
She used to host the Sunday night talk show ‘Checkpoint’ where she would moderate political analysts in assessment of the biggest stories that made headlines through that week. Yvonne was later promoted to be the Head of News Anchors at KTN.
Moderating at KTN gave Yvonne a vast experience in moderation of talks. In March the year 2014, she got a chance to moderate the Conference of African Finance Ministers in Abuja, Nigeria.
Yvonne Okwara Husband and Children
Yvonne Okwara tied a knot with Andrew Matole Konde. Andrew is a veterinary surgeon by profession. The two wedded in a colorful invites-only wedding back on 6th December in the year 2014 at Crown Plaza Hotel in Nairobi.
Rumors rented the air that before the actual day of the wedding, venues changed occasionally due to grounds the Andrew’s mistresses could march in and disrupt the ceremony. Andrew had been previously married to Alice Manyole Matole whom they parted ways and had not officially divorced. Andrew and Alice brought forth three children though details about them are still under wraps.
Pastors at NPC Valley Road Church were not able to take part in officiating the wedding because Andrew had not yet officially divorced his alleged first wife Alice Matole. Details about Yvonne Okwara and Matole Konde’s children are not yet in the public eye. We shall update this information as soon as we get enough facts.
Yvonne Okwara Awards, Recognitions and Achievements
Yvonne Okwara plays the role of media consultancy for Kenya’s National Defense College. She also sits on the ENACTUS Business Advisory Council. Nevertheless, Yvonne is a board member at CBM Kenya, a development organization that takes care of the society members with disability. She is also the current chairperson of the Advisory Board of Africa Uncensored. This is an independent media house set up by Kenya’s finest investigative journalists. Yvonne is also a member of Bloomberg Africa Leadership Initiative Media.
The award-winning TV anchor got a chance to moderate the Presidential Debates in Kenya in 2017. Apart from that she has also moderated several local and international panels that comprised of famous world icons such as Melinda Gates (the famous Bill Gates Husband), UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, Former US Secretary of Treasury Jack Lew, Former IMF Deputy Managing Director Min Zhu, Governor Central Bank of Kenya Dr. Patrick Njoroge, Bishop TD Jakes, Chairman Monetary Authority of Singapore and the former African Development Bank President Donald Kaberuka.
Yvonne Okwara Net Worth and Salary
As one of the most experienced TV anchors, Yvonne takes home more than Kshs. 300,000. Her estimated net worth as of the year 2022 is approximately more than Kshs. 100 Million.
