Samson Lipuka, a well-known broadcaster in East Africa, is a member of the once aristocratic Lipuka Family spread
all over East African countries of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
The Lipuka Family originated in Western Kenya along the northen parts of Lake Victoria in the area today known
as Maseno. Lake Victoria is the largest fresh-water lake in Africa and the source of the River Nile, which is the lifeline
of Egypt.
Following family disagreements over inheritance during the early years of the 20th century, the Lipuka Family
disintegrated and split into three distinct branches. The first remained in Western Kenya and is now spread into Eastern Uganda.
The second, of which Samson Lipuka belongs, moved East and settled along the Coast of Kenya, at a place called Mazeras, some
20 kilometers to the west of the old historical city of Mombasa.
The third moved south and settled in Central Tanzania and may be found in Shinyanga area of Tanzania.
As a boy, Samson Lipuka was a loner. And he was an avid reader, a trait inherited from his father Samuel. Like
all boys his age, Samson read comics. He particularly liked reading Dandy and Beano which his father bought for him. But apart
form his father, one of his uncles, Zachariah a teacher, liked reading novels. His uncle bought many novels including
James Bond by Ian Flemming, James Hardley Chase, and Mickey Spillane. And ofcourse Samson read them as well.
By the time he was in primary school class 5. Samson's English was well above average. And this was more noticeable
in his area where Kiswahili is the main language. So on many occasions, he was called upon by the villagers to do translations
from English to Kiswahili and vice versa. And whenever English-speaking guests visited the village, he was the boy to talk
to them.
Samson's father actually held two jobs. By day, he was a clerk working for the defunct Motor Mart And Exchange
Company which had the franchise to sell Renault cars, and Italian scooters. By night, he was a musician. Samson's mother was
the village beauty and the best dancer. And she could sing. Samson was the oldest son, and his father would spend some time
teaching him how to play some of the musican instruments
So at an early age, Samson could play the guitar and the accordion. Samson was later to play with various bands
in Mombasa and continued when he moved to Nairobi for a career in broadcasting. He then quit music to concentrate in broadcasting.
Samsob joined broadcasting by accident. His ambition was to become a lawyer. While in primary school, he was
appointed Assistant Librarian of the school when he was in class 5. making him the youngest pupil ever to hold such a position.
By class 6 he was made Chief Librarian, a position only held by pupils from the more senior classes. He had also taken
up drama and debating; and had started representing his school in many inter-school competitions. Still in Class 6, Samson
started a school daily, the first to be started in the school.
When he later joined high school at Kwale High School, Samson started a debating club at the school and became
it's chairman; a position he held until he left the school.
It was in his third year in high school that he had his first taste of broadcasting, when the then Voice of Kenya,
the sole broadcasting statition at the time, visited his school and asked his debating club to participate in a recorded debating
competition among schools. The debates were recorded and transmitted. Samson's school won the competition. The Voice of Kenya
later asked for permission from the school for Samson to chair future debates, for which he was paid. This of course, earned
him fame.
Even then, Samson's ambition was to be a lawyer. He passed his high school examination well enough to be called
for further studies, but he could not continue with his studies. This was due to the fact that his father had earlier on,
had a motorcycle accident and had been paralysed. He could no longer work. Samson had younger brothers and sisters and one
brother was at home due to lack of school fees. So he dropped out of school to work. That was the end of his education, and
dream of becoming a lawyer.
Luck was on his side, bacuase he was invited to become an announcer with the Voice of Kenya. Broadcasting was
not exactly new to Samson. One of his uncles was the first African Controller of Television. And a number of radio broadcasters
had actually attended the same primary school he later attended. Two of hia aunts were radio personalities. And the minister
for information and broadcasting was another uncle. And this connection with broadcasting in the Lipuka Family is still continuing
One of his cousins is a Radio broadcaster and television actor. A niece is a Radio broadcaster in one of the new FM
Radio stations.
When he started broadcasting, Samson broadcast in the national language, kiswahili, but he later started
broadcasting in English, combining both. He also started presenting current affairs television programmes.
Samson is credited for having started the first Radio programme on exercise and physical fitness in Eastern
and Central Africa. This has since been copied by most broadcasting stations in the region.
Samson is also widely-travelled. He has attended course organised by the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association,
Voice of Germany, UNESCO, the African Broadcasting Institute in Cairo, Egypt and the International Institute, Histadrut, of
Israel, among others.
Samson has served in a number of committees, both Government and non-Government. He was in the Committee that
was given the mandate to formulate a Policy Paper on Post- Literacy Education in Kenya. He was in the Commitee that came up
with a paper on the Development of the Film Industry in Kenya. He has participated on the research on the media habits of
people in slums and rural areas in Kenya. He has also co-chaired a Session on Genetically Modofied Crops as an
alternative to increased food production in Africa.
Samson has also covered major international conferences including those organised by the United Nations and the
African Union.
Samson is the winner of the 1996 Broadcaster of the Year Award.
Samson has currently established two companies, which will be dealing with the Production of Radio and Television
programmes, and the growing African film industry. He is currently working with the East African School of Journalism and
the International Multimedia Academy, both based in Nairobi, Kenya, as consultant on curriculum development.
Samson is now involved in the establishment of a Community Radio Station in the slums of Mathare in Nairobi to
educate the residents on how to be self-reliant and avoid HIV/AIDS, among others.
He has also started some social sites, Lisa and Ultimate Taekwondo Forum.
