Mombasa Times: September 2010

By Isaiah Andanje

The name Eugene Omilo is perhaps one of the most popular within the media fraternity in Mombasa, Kenya's second largest city.

However, as a man of very few words, his personal story is unknown to many both in and outside the media circles where his professional life revolves.

Regarded by his peers as a journalist par excellence, Omilo has curved himself a niche in the pen and notebook profession dazzling various editors under whom he has worked with as a gifted grammarian and writer of substance.

The big question that has always arose in the minds of many who have known him closely is why he is not in the rightful places namely the big daily newspapers to mingle with his peers and be in service to newspaper readers nationally.

Born on April 16,1985 in Mombasa, Kenya to the late Peter B. L. Omilo and Scolastica Omilo, the future writer grew in a humble neighbourhood in Mtwapa, Mombasa together with siblings Lucretia, Faith, Cyprian and Winfrid.

Both of his parents taught English and Religious Education in various schools in Kilifi and Samia districts.

His family hails from Sirekeresi in Busia County of Western Kenya.

He attended Shimo - La -Tewa and Mtomondoni primary schools for his early education before being admitted to St. Mary's Junior Seminary in Kwale for his secondary education.

Later on, he was transferred to Butula Boys Secondary school in his home county where he was a pupil of current Butula MP Alfred Odhiambo (elected 2007).

Having worked briefly as a vegetable farmer immediately after high school, Omilo joined Mombasa Polytechnic University College in Tudor, Mombasa where together with this author graduated with a Diploma in Mass Communication in 2008.

While at the polytechnic, the future journalist took odd jobs during his free time including working as a garbage collector in Mtwapa to earn some money.

On completing his studies, the young scribe was posted to Kilifi district by the Ministry of Information and Communication to work as an intern for the Kenya News Agency, where he perfected his skills in journalism under the surpervision of Balozi Yeri, then District Information Officer for Kilifi.

Afterwards, he left KNA to work with The Sunday Express, a weekly political newspaper published by veteran journalist Ayub Savula.

He then left the weekly in less than a year to try his hand in the Insurance business where he was employed by Frami Insurance Agency tasked with establishing an Insurance Agency in the fast growing Mtwapa township.

After a short stint at the firm, he returned to journalism once again, this time securing a job with The Star newspaper as the South Coast correspondent.

At the Star, he only worked for five months.

Apparently, the seemingly reserved and soft spoken correspondent had crossed the paper's management for his radical stance in advocating for better working terms.As a founder member of the Pwani Media Initiative, he still continues to rally for a call for better working conditions for correspondents and stringers through networking and activism.
After the fall out with the daily, and wiith his sizeable experience in media, he ventured into the Public Relations business where he works for a PR company Cutting Edge Communication Ltd.

While here, he also cut a niche for himself writing for premier publications like The Transporter for the Kenya Transport Association, Africa Tea Trade Journal for the East African Tea Trade Association and The Lantern for the Kenya Petroleum Refineries Ltd.

His writing prowess has also been tapped by various Constituency Development Fund (CDF) publications including Maendeleo Yetu for Kisauni CDF, MV Maendeleo for Lamu West constituency and Mnara wa Maendeleo for Malindi constituency.

His byline has also featured prominently in the Coast This Week newspaper which took the Coast province and Mombasa especially by storm where he also manned the sports desk under Njuguna Mutonya who was the Editor in Chief.

An avid lover of the arts, he has attended numerous artistic exhibitions within Mombasa and Lamu both as a a spectator and as a critic.He was a member of the Panel of Judges during the 2nd Edition of the Coast Film Festival organized by the Coast Film makers Association and the Alliance Francaise de Mombasa.

A man of strict moral principles, he is yet to leave the bachelors' club.