Behind the headlines: The story of a Kenyan investigative journalist

By Jacque Ooko, Internews in Kenya

Meet the man behind the investigative segments on KTN, The Case-files and Inside Story. He brought you an investigative story on the 2004 seizure of cocaine haul worth Sh6.4 billion and how the Kenyan government handled, stored and disposed of the cocaine.

The Untouchables was a follow up series that revealed the famous Artur brothers connection to the drugs.

In another expose, Blood on Gold, Onsarigo spent six months uncovering details of a web of corruption, murder and intimidation perpetuated by a ring of international gold dealers mostly originating from the troubled Democratic Republic of Congo.

With a satisfying smile, KTN’s investigative reporter Dennis Onsarigo says he is proud of his body of work.

“Working on such stories is not an easy task. It requires thorough research and it can take up to eight months to develop such stories which also come with lots of challenges. I did not begin my journey as a crime or investigative reporter but having chosen that path, I do not regret my move - I enjoy crime and investigative journalism,”says Onsarigo.

A journey of a thousand miles they say begins with a single step. Onsarigo started his way back in 2002 as an intern cameraman at the then Nation TV now NTV. One year later he decided to try news reporting. He was a jack of all trades reporting on every issue. But after sometime he found his true calling and settled on crime reporting.

In 2011 Dennis moved to KTN as an investigative journalist and last year he was promoted to the position of Crimes and Investigations Editor.

For more on Free and Fair Media Radio Trainer Jacque Ooko interview with Onsarigo on how and why he chose the path of crimes and investigative reporting despite all its attendant risks click here.

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