NATION CENTRE

NATION CENTRE: A MAGNIFICENT BUILDING IN THE CITY

An overview of the Nation Centre at Kimathi Street, Nairobi.

Nation Centre, is a landmark 17-storeyed twin tower building situated in the central business district of Kenya's capital city, Nairobi. If you thought Nation Centre building is just a mere storey building like any other skyscraper within the city, then you are wrong.

Yesterday was a red letter day for the second year second semester journalism students of the University of Nairobi who aspire to major next semester in either print media or broadcast media. I hope you will enjoy reading the anecdote below.

It all started in the morning. We were around twenty students from the School of Journalism, University of Nairobi who were allowed to attend that academic trip. I myself, I woke up in a chilly morning and tip toed towards Nation Centre. I met Beth, my classmate, outside Lyric House working towards Nation Centre which was approximately 50 metres away. Beth is the most beautiful lady I have ever seen in this world. Since I joined the University last year, I have been admiring her a lot and I had never had a knack to say even hi to her despite she and I being in one class for 365 plus days!

So you can guess that I would not miss yesterday’s opportunity to extend my hand to her to even say hi alone. I did not know she was very responsive. She responded my greetings and gave me a smile I thought it was the best I have ever seen in this crazy world. It was then when I started chatting with her academics as it normally happens when two school going guys meet.

I asked her what she would major in come next semester. In School of Journalism there are four areas of specialization; print, broadcast, development communication and public relation. So I was just asking Beth what she would major in otherwise at the back of my, after seeing her awesome face which people like to watch in the television screens, I had the answer but surprisingly she told me she would major in public relation and not broadcast media. It was then when I told her direct about her beauty and the connection of that beauty and broadcast media, but she said she was shy and she could not stand in front of a camera to anchor news.

We were standing outside Nation Centre and people were just passing by and I could see dozens of them staring at her and they could not recognize my presents either. Though she was casually dressed, since the trip was not official, she was looking marvelous in her outfit. Her long hair was amazing and anyone would feel like touching it. Her shinning eyes and brown face matched nicely. The voluptuous and curvaceous body she has could attract attention of everybody. And that was Beth my classmate who accused me of being too silent in class. I responded her by saying I only participate in serious topics and not jokes. She told me, guys who like writing are always silent, but I denied that assumption by telling her a journalist should be sanguine in character.

Back to the major story of the day, outside Nation Centre were school of journalism students standing waiting for someone to pick them and take them inside the building. We stood outside for close to 30 minutes and a huge middle-age woman came to pick us. She gave us instructions on how to behave inside the building. The foremost instruction was no taking photos either inside or outside the building because of security reasons.

So we followed the normal security search which happens almost in all the buildings in Nairobi because of the risk brought about by al-Shabaab terror group. On our way to the lift which we were told it would take us to second floor, we were told to queue. We were like sheep waiting to be driven into a cattle dip. I was in front since some students were a bit scared to lead the way. Luckily, there was a commissionaire who assists forks in pressing the lift button. So he pressed ascending button and within few minutes the lift opened and he instructed us to enter in. We were about five students inside the lift to second floor where we would start our tour. Inside the lift I could not see where the second floor button was. It was not my first time to use a lift, but the design of the lift in this building is utterly different from the one I have ever used. The walls inside the lift were coated with a mattress-like cloth. So the buttons to different floors were not visible and one was required to be a good observer to locate them. Fortunately there was Freda, my classmate, who looked familiar with those things and she assisted us to check and press the button to second floor. Unlike other lifts I ever used within the city, that lift was so faster that we used only less than three seconds to reach second floor.

At second floor, as we were told, we waited for a lady who would take us round from second floor to sixth floor. Within a minute she arrived and instructed us to follow her to sixth floor direct using the stairs. At this second floor I could see a hall which contain approximately 200 desktop computers with some occupied by people while others are just vacant.

At sixth floor, we stood at the reception. This sixth floor at Nation Centre is where the Qtv, the Nation Television (NTV), Nation FM radio and Q fm are located. The lady at the reception who had short hair told our guide that the televisions and the radio stations were busy and we could go down stairs (second floor) to look at editorial room/hall for the Daily Nation and Taifa Leo newspapers.

At second floor our guide took us to the chief-editor’s desk so that he could instruct someone to take us round the hall. He called Stella Cherono, who is a health sub-editor, and instructed her to orientate us around different departments within that second floor.

The lady was talking in a low tone and we could hardly hear her talking. The only thing I saw her showing us at the chief-editor’s desk was the book containing the names of the reporters against the cameramen assigned different duties.

From that desk, she showed us the editorial department for the East Africa Newspaper which is published weekly (every Thursday). We headed to Daily Nation Sport Desk where we found Golf Game sub-editor who told us what the sport news entails. From there we proceeded to Sunday and Saturday magazine sub-editors, where we found only two guys since there was no much work for them on Thursday and we were told some of them were in the field. We then advanced to the health sub-editing desk where Cherono is working. We also saw guys who write features. We were told those people read the newspaper critically everyday in order to come up with the features to be published.

To my utter amazement I saw a computer I had never seen in my entire life. We were told that computer has software which the ordinary computers we use do not have. Those applications contained in that computer are only designed for newspaper layout before it is printed.

We proceeded to the final part of the newspaper editorial room where we found so many busy guys working on the Kiswahili newspaper, Taifa Leo, which we were told it is the first paper to go to print. We were also told of the four categories of the Daily Nation newspaper. It is segmented according to the regions. There are Nairobi edition, Coastal edition, Western Edition and the current digital edition which is viewed worldwide via an online platform.

That was all about the editorial newspaper department where we found to be a highly equipped floor in the whole building.

We went back to sixth floor to where the televisions and radio stations are located. We went to Nation FM where we found funny Munene, the radio producer, seated in the studio. He explained to us how the radio studio is operated using the most funny and simple language. There is nothing much at the radio studio and I learned that one can purchase radio equipments at hardly one million shillings.

We went to another studio connected with the studio where Munene was and we found a Kiswahili news anchor at NTV, who is on leave, seated at the studio. He talked to us about his career and education as we were waiting for a certain programme to end at television stations.

He took us at around 11:10a.m to Qtv newsroom where we saw a highly equipped room full of computers. He explained to us how news is done in the newsroom and how different clips are played. He then took us to the Qtv studio where he showed us studio equipment. Surprisingly, lights were turn on and I was shocked about the kind of lights they use at the studio. That news anchor admitted that lights are too much and they can have some effects on the studio users. He said when they are inviting people to attend interviews, they normally advise them on what they should wear. He said blue shirts are not allowed in that studio since its walls are blue. He showed us the autocue and I learned that an autocue is not board-like display of words. It is actually a small device mounted together with the camera.

He then took us outside the studio and showed us dressing room where they change their clothes before they go on air. He took us to gallery department where they edit the pictures/ photos to be played during news bulletin.

We then proceeded to NTV newsroom where the news directors are situated. Inside NTV newsroom there were several big computers. We found one director who explained to us how news is run in an autocue. We could not ask much at NTV newsroom since most of the equipments it contained were more less the same as that we saw at the Qtv newsroom. We could not be allowed to go to advertising studio which we were told it runs for 24 hours. We could only eavesdrop through the window and see some guys wholly committed inside. We were told that advertisement studio is a very paramount part of the media enterprise since the media house survives mainly on the advertisements.

He then motioned us to the NTV studio where they conduct interviews and read news. There were two parts of the studio. In NTV, the walls are smart and one can wear any dress he/she feels like wearing since all the colours are allowed unlike in Qtv where blue colour is prohibited. The lights at the studio were not too much. There were two people, news anchors, lingering in the studio. I could recognize one as Nimrod Taabu: a Kiswahili news presenter. We were showed different screens and their functions and that was the end of our tour inside the building.

What I adored most in the building is the organization of studios and different news departments. I really long for the day I will work there. It is an awesome place to be in.