Papa Nasty

John Maloba a.k.a Papa Nasty has been one of the long-serving Reggae Radio Presenters in Kenya. He’s bilingual and comfortable presenting in either Swahili or English. A trained Journalist & DJ. An all rounder in terms of Radio Presentation but excels in the reggae field.

FIRST NAME: JOHN
LAST NAME: MALOBA
NICKNAME: PAPA NASTY

OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT NAMES: JOHN MALOBA MWALO

Q1. ARE YOU IN A RELATIONSHIP? THIS IS A TRICKY QUESTION FOR ME. ALL I KNOW IS THAT, AT THE HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC WHEN I WAS LAID OFF FROM GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT, I FOUND MYSELF SINGLE HANDEDLY RAISING 3 KIDS AND THE YOUNGEST WAS ONLY I YEAR OLD. TO DATE I DON’T KNOW WHERE THE MOTHER IS AND I DON’T KNOW WHETHER I SHOULD CONSIDER MYSELF SINGLE BECAUSE I STILL HAVE A MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE. MAY BE ITS HIGH TIME I DIVED INTO THE LOVE MARKET. THE TEMPTATION IS REAL AND THE URGE IS STRONG. I LEAVE IT TO YOU TO CLASSIFY MY STATUS.
Q2. IF YOU WE’RE NOT A RADIO PRESENTER WHAT WOULD YOU BE? WELL, I’M A JACK OF MANY TRADES. I’M NOT QUITE SURE WHERE FATE WOULD HAVE LED ME TO BUT I HAVE ALWAYS HAD THIS DREAM OF RUNNING A MUSIC PRODUCTION STABLE AMONG OTHERS. I ALSO HAVE A PASSION FOR WILDLIFE CONSERVATION
Q3. DO YOU HAVE A SIDE HUSTLE? IF YES, WHAT IS IT? YES, I DO HAVE. I RUN A SMALL AUDIO/VISUAL STUDIO PLUS A CORRESPONDING WEBSITE.
Q4. WHAT DO YOU DO ON YOUR SPARE TIME? I  USUALLY SUPERVISE JOURNALISM INTERNS AT MY STUDIO BUT I ALSO LISTEN TO MUSIC AND WATCH INTERNATIONAL NEWS. I ALSO ENJOY BABY SITTING MY LAST BORN BUT MOST OF ALL, I ENJOY WATCHING MAN UNITED WINNING AND ARSENAL LOOSING.
Q5. GOT ANY HOBBIES? WHENEVER TIME AND FINANCES ALLOW, I’M THAT PERSON WHO WILL HEAD DOWN COAST FOR A BREATH OF FRESH AIR. I ALSO LOVE VISITING GAME RESERVES AND PARKS SO I GUESS THIS ALSO FALLS UNDER TRAVELING AND TOURING. FOOTBALL IS LIKE A RELIGION TO ME.
Q6. WHAT PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU….

“WELL, I’M A PROFESSIONAL DJ AND STARTED MY CARRIER AS A DJ BEFORE VENTURING INTO JOURNALISM. I LITERALLY TRAINED AND LAUNCHED SOME BIG NAMES IN THE INDUSTRY, AMONG THEM, HITS REPUBLIC ENTERTAINMENT CEO DJ TIBZ, THE TALENTED REGGAE DJ RANKING KISSINGER AND THE LATE POXY PRESSURE. I AND THE ARTISTE JACK MARLEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR INTRODUCING REGGAE CLUB SESSIONS IN MOMBASA.”

Q7. WHAT’S THE LOWEST YOU’VE EVER EARNED? I EARNED A KSH 10,000/= ALLOWANCE PER MONTH FOR ONE YEAR WHEN I FIRST VENTURED INTO MAINSTREAM MEDIA SOME 20 YEARS AGO. I HOWEVER DIDN’T NOTICE THAT IT WAS LOW BECAUSE I SUPPLEMENTED THAT WITH CLUB GIGS.
Q8. YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING EXPERIENCE?

“SOMETIME BACK WHILE READING LATE NIGHT NEWS, I COULDN’T PRONOUNCE THE WORD “DEMILITARIZATION” AND WAS ACTUALLY STUTTERING. THE SMS AND PHONE CALLS THAT FOLLOWED WERE ALL DISCUSSING ME BUT I TOOK IT LIGHTLY.”

Q9. YOU ASPIRE TO BE LIKE? I HONESTLY DON’T ASPIRE TO BE LIKE ANYBODY BUT I ASPIRE TO INSPIRE
Q10. YOUR DREAM CAR? X6 BMW SERIES
Q11. WHAT’S THE MOST EXPENSIVE ITEM IN YOUR CLOSET? I LIVE MODESTLY SO MOST STUFF IN MY CLOSET ARE JUST STANDARD. MAYBE THE MOST EXPENSIVE ITEM, IS A SET OF 3 ITALIAN LINEN SUITS THAT COST ME 120 DOLLARS EACH
Q12. YOUR PREFERRED GENRE OF MUSIC? I LOVE INSTRUMENTAL REGGAE, SALSA AND MERINGUE. I THINK CARIBBEAN MUSIC IS IN MY BLOOD BECAUSE ALL THESE IS CARIBBEAN.
Q13. YOUR CURRENT AGE BRACKET? I’M IN MY ADVANCED FORTIES. “LAUGHS”
Q14. YOUR FAVORITE MEAL? RICE AND PEAS IS MY FAVORITE DISH AND TO EAT IT EVERY SUNDAY IS MY DOCTOR’S WISH
Q15. THE TEACHER YOU’LL NEVER FORGET AND WHY?

“THIS HAS TO BE MR. MAINA AKA “BOIRO” AT AQUINAS HIGH SCHOOL. HE WAS SUCH A HILARIOUS GENTLE GIANT”

Q16. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? I WAS BORN AND GROWN IN NAIROBI AND SPENT MY CHILDHOOD AT MARINGO ESTATE AT THE HEART OF EASTLANDS, NAIROBI.
Q17. BIGGEST RISK YOU’VE EVER TAKEN? A COUPLE OF YEARS BACK ME AND MY BOY BOUGHT SOME LARGE ACREAGE OF LAND TEEMING WITH WILDLIFE JUST ADJACENT TO THE TSAVO GAME RESERVE RIGHT IN TAITA TAVETA. WE WERE AND ARE STILL HOPING TO ONE DAY GET SOME FUNDING AND SET UP SOME LUXURY TENTS AND GAME DRIVE BUSINESS. I HOPE THIS COMES TO FRUITION.
Q18. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THIS FIELD? I’M AS OLD AS MY FIRST MEDIA EMPLOYER IN THIS FILED. DO SOME MATH AND FIND OUT WHEN SK MACHARIA LAUNCHED HIS MEDIA EMPIRE. I HAVE STAYED FOR THAT LONG WITH SOME 4 YEARS OF SABBATICAL LEAVE ON DEFAULT, THANKS TO THE MOI REGIME AND COVID 19 PANDEMIC
Q19. ADVICE YOU’D GIVE YOUR PROTEGE? STAY FOCUSED AND BE DIPLOMATICALLY AGGRESSIVE.
Q20. WORST DECISION EVER MADE? BUYING AN OVERUSED MERCEDES AS MY FIRST CAR JUST TO PLEASE MY EGO. I BOUGHT IT FOR A MERE KSH 400,000/= SPENT KSH 300,000/= IN REPAIRS AND SOLD IT FOR ONLY KSH 200,000/= WHICH WAS PAID IN BITS AND PIECES OF AS LOW AS KSH 5,000/= WUEEEH! NIJIPATE TENA.