If you're a fan of Radio Citizen's Jambo Kenya morning show, Melody Sinzore needs no introduction. The bold-voiced presenter has become one of the most recognisable faces in Kenyan radio since she kicked off her career as an intern at KBC back in 2010. But behind her on-air persona is an equally compelling family story, including a father whose rags-to-riches journey is the stuff of legend in Western Kenya.
Several photos have emerged over the years showing Sinzore alongside her affluent father, Ibrahim Ambwere. Senator Methu Showcases Wife During Church Service in Ol Kalou Most recently, in June this year, the presenter was seen in high spirits as Ambwere marked his 90th birthday, joyfully leading the singing. Ambwere's story is one of the most extraordinary in Kenyan business history.
Born in 1936 in Maragoli, Vihiga County, he lost his father to the army at the age of four, and his mother passed away when he was just eight. Left to fend for himself, he worked on farms in Maragoli before eventually landing a job as a sweeper for an Asian employer, a role he held for a decade. When his employer left the country, Ambwere received an unusual farewell gift: an old toolbox.
That humble parting gift became the starting point for everything that followed. He returned to Chavakali, only to receive a cold welcome from his relatives. Undeterred, he rented a house and launched a carpentry workshop with just KSh 38 in savings.
Kenya Newspapers Review: How Gachagua's campaign machine delivered an 85% landslide in Ol Kalou His first significant contract came in 1963, when Kaimosi Hospital hired him to manufacture beds. When the hospital could not pay in cash, they handed him an old ambulance instead. From that unlikely beginning, Ambwere built one of the most recognisable property portfolios in Western Kenya.
His holdings in Kakamega's central business district alone include Ambwere Towers, Ambwere Plaza and Ambwere Fraha Centre. He also owns properties in Kisumu, Kitale, Mbale and Nairobi. Despite his immense wealth, the Kitale-based businessman has always shied away from the public eye and never pursued a political career, despite serving as former chair of the Luhya Elders'Council.
His most talked-about moment came in the 1980s, when teachers' salaries were held up by the government. Ambwere publicly offered to cover the entire bill, which stood at KSh 48 million. The offer, however, attracted scrutiny from government quarters rather than the gratitude he might have expected.
Linet Ouko, a longtime Kakamega resident, shared similar sentiments. Ong'ondo Were's 1st widow Margaret Korir recalls day husband was shot in emotional court testimony Melody Sinzore, who co-hosts Jambo Kenya alongside Vincent Ateya, Jaridah Andayi and Inspekta Mwala, has rarely spoken about her family background publicly. She is a University of Nairobi graduate known for keeping her private life largely out of the spotlight, a discretion she appears to have inherited from her famously media-shy father.