This archive report was first published on 14 January 2020.
ONE ON ONE: Edgar Obare ¶
Published on January 14, 2020
Edgar Obare, a USIU master's degree graduate, has made a name for himself by outing Kenyan celebrities' secrets and scandals through his YouTube channel.
As the founder of Edgar Obare, the YouTube channel, Obare has become a rarity in today's world - a self-proclaimed 'Truthseeker and Storyteller' who has made a career out of exposing the truth about Kenya's elite.
Obare sat down with Mercy Kavutha to discuss the art of vlogging about Kenya's elite and the power of his channel.
'I think the basis of such a statement is the fact that there is always a bigger picture and a true journalist aims for that, no matter what,' Obare said when asked about the nature of news.
Obare described himself as a storyteller, saying that his channel has a lot of different kinds of investigative content dealing with issues in society, not just celebrities.
When asked about the controversy surrounding his channel, Obare admitted that he has suffered for his work, but has learned to involve lawyers in everything.
'There is trust between my audience and I, and that says a lot in terms of power,' Obare said when asked about the power of his vlog.
Obare also revealed that he openly invites people to 'pitch' him interesting stories to talk about, but has a strict policy of not vlogging anything to do with children.
When asked about celebrities who refuse to talk to him, Obare said that he has surprisingly few enemies in the industry.
'It's entertaining and it makes for good table talk and debates,' Obare said when asked about why people are obsessed with celebrity scandals.
Obare also revealed that he is a one-man team, relying on his followers to provide him with information and sources.
'I'm the mouthpiece but it's Kenyans who do the important part,' Obare said.
When asked about what he is most grateful for in his experience, Obare said that it is the opportunity to impact people's lives positively.
'I have a lot of people coming up to me telling me how my vlog helped them in their own investigations or opened their eyes to certain situations,' Obare said.
Obare also admitted that he has been advised to be less 'brutal' in his exposes, but says that he loves what he does and will continue to do it because Kenyans deserve a truth-seeker.
When asked about the lessons he has learned that have helped him succeed, Obare said that it is his ability to back his claims with evidence that has set him apart.
Obare also shared some quick-fire questions, revealing that his favorite food is chicken, his favorite living person is Nelson Mandela, and his most embarrassing moment was being publicly shamed in high school for writing slurs on the school's Facebook page.
