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	Philip Muhatia prepares to go on air as director of operations, Muchiri Kioi, looks on

What is it like to broadcast out of Kibera? What's the worst thing and best thing?

Well recently I was attacked by seven thugs on my way to work at 5am in the morning. They were armed with pangas and one of them had a pistol.

They forced me to sit down and then they took the little money that I had and my phone.

I was very embarrassed and it took some time for me to recover.

And the best thing?

All in all I have to say that I am very positive because the slum has improved very much when you compare it to how it used to be.

In what way?

Well we have electricity now.

You will also find places that are very clean – it used to be very dirty everywhere.

Also communities from all around the world are represented here. So you get to talk to many different people and hear their stories and ideas – that is very humbling.

Pamoja FM obviously plays a big role in the community. Can you tell a bit more about your programme's focus?

Yes, these improvements are helped by the education people are now getting.

We try to educate our listeners on tensions in the slum and the need for peace and so on.

My show runs between 7am and 10am. Before it starts we have BBC Network Africa, then I read our own breakfast news.

We often talk about religious and social issues, what is going on in the community and also the world.

So, for instance, yesterday we were talking about sex before marriage and whether somebody should be a virgin before getting married.

What about sport. Are you following the Olympics?

ON WORKING FOR FREE  You can't run away from things, you have to persevere

Oh yes (laughs). This morning we were giving hope to our athletes in Beijing and encouraging them to run, knowing that we are behind them.

So how long has Pamoja FM been going?

For about a year.

How many listeners does it attract?

Well, we broadcast to a total population of 1.5 million.

Is there any competition?

Every month we have a report that gives an update on how many listeners we have. Last month we were ranked number two to a station which is owned by one of the cousins of the president of our country.

How do you handle interference from the government in what you broadcast?

Well we try to avoid the issues that are very sensitive to the government. So when we talk politics we have to be very careful that we don't collide too much because the government of the day is the boss (laughs).

So really we give the people a stage to say what they think about the government, but we have to be careful not to say anything ourselves.

How long have you been working in radio?

Nine months. Before that I was a social worker.

Do you enjoy it?

Yes I really enjoy it. This is where my talent lies.

What keeps you awake at night?

(Laughs) My three children aged seven, four and one. Sometimes I worry about making them happy and being able to give them everything they need, like a good education.

Most schools in Kibera are private and charge fees, but there are also some fees for government schools.

So we have to make a plan. I work as a volunteer for Pamoja which means no pay.

Government regulation, at the moment, says that we can't run adverts so the station isn't making any money.

Still we run the station for the benefit of the community. It's like a self-help group.

But if you work for nothing how do survive?

Well you see me I am a Christian and we believe that it is God who cares for us.

There are some things that are hard to address but you have to because this is Kenya, this is our country and this is our community.

You can't run away from things, you have to persevere.

I do earn some money from freelance work, writing for the big media houses like the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation.

But now that I have taken on the programme at Pamoja full time I have to go out and do some research before the next day's programme.

So that is why I've now been talking to management to see how they can help me.

At the moment they don't have any way out. But when the government allows us to run adverts we won't have any problems.

What do you do in your free time?

Well I like to recite and write poetry. I also like travelling when I get the chance and watching movies.

Pamoja FM broadcasts from Kibera on 99.9 FM

This article appears in the October - December 2008 edition of BBC Focus on Africa Magazine.

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