This archive report was first published on 27 September 2019.
On September 27, 2019, a heated exchange erupted between former radio presenter Ciku Muiruri and BBC journalist Ciru Muriuki over a case of mistaken identity.
It all started when Kenyans on Twitter criticized Muiruri for exploiting Tob Cohen's death to sell her book, but mistakenly targeted Muriuki instead.
Muiruri was forced to defend herself, claiming that she built her brand using the name Ciku long before Muriuki came into the limelight.
'I did my first radio show in 1998. In my many, many, many, years on radio doing Busted etc I have used my name. On my newspaper columns, I have used my name. On my book #LoveisButADream and all my social media pages, I have used my name,' Muiruri said.
She revealed that while working at Radio Africa, Muriuki was asked not to use her first name but her English name to avoid confusion with Muiruri.
'A boss of ours – Pete Sinclair – actually refused her to use the name during her stint at Radio Africa and said she would be mistaken for me. She had no choice but to listen to him and use her English name,' Muiruri explained.
Muiruri accused Muriuki of disregarding Sinclair's advice and using the name Ciku at the Nation, leading to the case of mistaken identity that persists to this day.
'If you want your brand to stand out, the first logical step is NOT to ride on someone else's name and then cry foul when it no longer suits you. Reap the whirlwind,' Muiruri said in her retort.
