Esther Githui-Ewart
Esther Githui-Ewart is the Lead Anchor and writer for VOA English-to-Africa's “Africa 54,” a daily television news program for sub-Saharan Africa. Esther is one of the lead editorial voices on Africa 54 and she serves as a lead anchor, writer, futures planner, live guest producer and VOA NBS reporter.
Esther started her career in Kenya with the National Broadcaster KBC as a Television Presenter, before coming to the U.S. to work for the Voice of America’s Swahili Service. She was the first VOA reporter to interview U.S. President Barack Obama in 2004 while he run for Illinois Senate. Esther reports daily on political developments in Africa and follows closely the initiatives of the African diaspora. She also served as the host of VOA’s “Africa Journal,” a weekly call-in television in program and Anchored “Special Report Africa,” a weekly lifestyle television magazine program sharing human interest stories of the African continent and the diaspora.
As the host of “Special Report Africa,“ she often featured one on one interviews with political officials and high profile guests such as the late Nobel Peace Laureate Wangari Maathai, Ashely Judd, American actress and UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador and the late legendary U.S. boxing Champion Joe Frazier. The program also allowed Esther an opportunity to interview South African musicians including the late legendary jazz trumpeter, Hugh Masekela and smooth jazz guitarist Jonathan Butler. At the Voice of America, she has conducted many high profile interviews, including heads of state such as Kenya’s former Presidents Daniel Arap Moi in 2001, Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2015 and 2018, U.S. President George W. Bush at the White House in 2002. Esther has often spoken to several U.S. Assistant Secretaries of State for African Affairs serving under several U.S. administrations, including Ambassador Linda Thomas Greenfield, Ambassador Johnnie Carson, Ambassador Susan Rice, Ambassador Jendayi Frazer, and Walter H. Kansteiner III to get the latest developments on U.S.-Africa policy.
Esther covered breaking news on Kenya’s Westgate terrorist attack by al-Shabab extremists in 2013. She has conducted interviews with other U.S. government officials including Congressional Leaders like Representative Chris Smith, a New Jersey Republican and California Democratic Congresswoman Karen Bass, who are members of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organization, other U.S. Senate members and African diplomatic corps in Washington.
