NAIROBI, Kenya — Radio presenter Alex Mwakideu has opened up about his battle with hearing loss, revealing that he has permanently lost between 45 and 50 per cent of his hearing in his left ear.
The veteran broadcaster said doctors diagnosed him with mild-to-moderate sensorineural hearing loss, a condition affecting the inner ear. He has since turned to custom-made hearing aids to help him manage the condition and continue with his daily activities.
Mwakideu linked the hearing damage to his more than two decades in broadcasting, particularly his prolonged use of headphones throughout his radio career.
Mwakideu said his family played an important role in helping him recognise that something had changed.
His wife and three daughters noticed that he increasingly struggled to follow ordinary conversations and often needed people to repeat themselves.
The family also noticed his television habits changing. Mwakideu began watching television at very high volume, another sign that prompted concern about his hearing.
What initially appeared to be an everyday inconvenience eventually led him to seek professional medical attention.
He initially considered whether something as simple as earwax could explain the problem. However, further medical assessment revealed that he was experiencing hearing loss.
Unlike conductive hearing loss, which can sometimes result from problems in the outer or middle ear, sensorineural hearing loss involves the inner ear or the auditory nerve.
Mwakideu said doctors informed him that the damage could not be reversed through surgery or medication. The diagnosis meant that he would have to manage the condition rather than expect his hearing to return naturally.
The broadcaster has consequently adopted hearing aids as part of his daily life. To help him cope with the hearing loss, Mwakideu acquired custom-made hearing aids reportedly worth Sh430,000.
Mwakideu has spent more than two decades working in radio. He began his broadcasting career at Baraka FM before moving through some of Kenya’s biggest radio stations.
His major breakthrough came at Radio Maisha, where he worked alongside Jalang’o on the popular breakfast show. He later moved to Milele FM, where he also took on a leadership role, before joining Radio 47.
In 2024, Mwakideu celebrated 20 years in broadcasting with a star-studded anniversary celebration attended by several media personalities and entertainers.
The broadcaster said Radio 47 will be his final radio station and that he plans to retire from the industry.
He has said he would still choose broadcasting if he had the opportunity to make the decision again.
Mwakideu Does Not Regret His Career
Even after receiving the diagnosis, Mwakideu has refused to view his more than 20 years in broadcasting as a mistake.
He has continued to speak positively about his career and the opportunities it gave him to connect with millions of listeners.
His journey has taken him from Baraka FM to Radio Maisha, Milele FM and eventually Radio 47, establishing him as one of Kenya’s veteran radio personalities.
His latest revelation instead marks a new stage in that journey.
With hearing aids helping him manage the condition and retirement approaching, Mwakideu is preparing to step away from the industry that defined much of his professional life.
For now, he continues to work while adapting to hearing loss and encouraging greater awareness of the importance of protecting hearing.
His story also underscores the personal cost that can accompany long careers in broadcasting and the need for media professionals to take their hearing health seriously.
After more than two decades on air, Mwakideu’s voice remains familiar to Kenyan audiences. But behind that voice is a broadcaster now learning to navigate a significant change in how he experiences the world around him.
