The BLAZE BYOB TV show will feature three main judges: Trushar Khetia, Caroline Mutoko, and Kevin Ombima.
Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore said that the judges were selected based on their success in their respective fields.
According to Collymore, the three judges know what it takes to become successful and are willing to share their experiences with the young contestants.
The judges are well-known Kenyans based on their track records in their respective fields.
Nevertheless, it is important to get to know them better in order to get an idea of what they bring to the table:
1. Trushar Khetia
Khetia is a 30-year old Kenyan and founder of the Tria Group, an outdoor transit advertising company that uses public transport vehicles to market consumer goods.
He is also the founder of Society Stores, a retail chain with five outlets in different major Kenyan towns.
He was listed in the Forbes’ 30 most promising young entrepreneurs in Africa in 2016.
He has worked in the United Kingdom as a National Account Manager at Procter & Gamble (P&G) between 2008 and 2011.
He returned to Kenya in 2011 and went on to become a Commercial Team Leader at KDL Group before leaving to establish the Tria group in 2013.
In 2014, he established Society Stores Supermarket after acquiring an operating supermarket in Thika town. The retail store has expanded to 5 outlets.
He graduated from the Manchester Business School with second class upper in Bsc. Management with Specialty in Marketing.
2. Caroline Mutoko
Ms. Mutoko has been dubbed the radio queen owing to her vast experience and influence in radio.
She is a 44-year old media personality with over 15 years of experience in radio.
She currently serves as the chief marketing officer at Radio Africa Group.
She is also a weekly columnist in the Star Newspaper.
She attended the Harvard Business School and Strathmore University for leadership courses and holds an MBA in business administration from the University of Nairobi.
She has served as a Radio presenter in “The Big Breakfast” morning show on Kiss 100 before taking up more senior roles at Radio Africa Group Limited.
She had also previously worked at Capital FM where she served as a presenter and marketing manager.
She was appointed chair lady of the Kenya Tourist Development Authority (KTDA) in 2012.
3. Kevin Ombima
He is popular Kenyan rapper who goes by the stage name ‘King Kaka’ or ‘Rabbit’.
Ombima is a 29 years old rapper, songwriter, and businessman.
He has established several businesses including artist management, clothing line, and graphic design.
His business ventures include a clothing line dubbed ‘Niko Kwa Jam Nakam’, a water company called ‘Kaka Empire’s Majik Water’, a graphic design company dubbed ‘Taurus Media’, and a talent management company by the name ‘Kaka Empire’.
Ombima is also a lecturer at Zetech University Ruiru branch since June 2016.
He works in the Entrepreneurship, Mentorship, and Music Faculty.
He has launched certain initiatives with the aim of bringing about change in the society.
The ‘Dreams Campaign’ initiative aims to fight vices such as child molestation and gender violence.
The ‘Tubonge’ initiative seeks to ensure that the voice of youths is heard by giving this group a platform to air their views.
This initiative won him recognition from UNDOC earning him the UNDOC Youth Initiative East Africa position.
