Thirty years of radio, music, personalities and memories will come together when Capital FM celebrates its 30th anniversary with the Third Flow Experience.
Since going on air in 1996 as Kenya’s first privately owned FM station, Capital FM has been part of the country’s changing music and entertainment landscape. The Third Flow Experience brings that journey to life through three eras: 1996–2006, 2006–2016 and 2016–2026.
Inset: Amina Abdi and Joe Mfalme
The celebration will culminate in a major concert at The Stables Magnate City in Limuru, where musicians and DJs from the three eras will share one stage.
The first era, dubbed The Pioneers, covers 1996–2006 and features Juacali, Sanaipei, Gravitti Band, Necessary Noize, DJ Krowbar and DJ Adrian.
These are artists and DJs associated with Capital FM’s formative years, when Kenyan music was finding new sounds and audiences and the station was establishing its identity.
The second era, Culture Shapers, covers 2006–2016 and features Fena, Juliani, Femi One, Daddy Owen, The Flower Project, DJ Joe Mfalme and DJ UV.
This period captures another chapter in the evolution of Kenyan music, with different genres, artists and DJs becoming part of the country’s popular culture.
Then comes The Next Flow, representing 2016–2026, with Serro, Njerae, Bensoul, Charisma, The Unit Band, DJ Pikachu, DJ Schwaz and DJ Kdeja.
The lineup reflects a younger generation of Kenyan musicians and DJs whose sound has connected with a new generation of listeners.
Together, the three groups tell a musical story spanning 30 years.
That is what makes Third Flow different from a conventional anniversary concert. It is not simply a collection of performers. The artists and DJs have been deliberately brought together to represent different chapters of Kenyan music and the audiences that grew up with them.
The decision to feature an exclusively Kenyan lineup is also central to the celebration.
While major entertainment events often bring international acts to Kenyan stages, Capital FM has chosen to put local musicians at the centre of its 30th anniversary. The concert will allow audiences to move between different generations and sounds of Kenyan music in a single experience.
For a station whose history has been closely connected to music, the relationship is fitting. Over three decades, Capital FM has provided a platform through which musicians have connected with audiences, while Kenyan artists have supplied much of the soundtrack to the station’s programming.
The Third Flow Experience will bring together not only three generations of musicians, but also listeners who have experienced different chapters of Capital FM’s history.
Beyond the music, the anniversary has also been an opportunity to reconnect with some of the people who helped shape the station.
Inset: Lynda Holt with Chino Lawi and Maalika Kazia
Capital FM founder Lynda Holt recently returned to the station for a candid interview with Capital in the Morning hosts Chiko Lawi and Maalika Kazia, reflecting on the origins of the station, her journey building the brand and the eventual decision to hand over ownership to the late businessman Dr Chris Kirubi.
Holt described the decision to sell the station as a personal crossroads rather than purely a commercial one, saying she had reached a point where she felt she had taken Capital FM as far as she could on her own.
She said Kirubi, whom she described as a friend, had the resources and drive to take the station to the next level.
“I was at a point in my life where I felt I had done what I could with Capital FM and it was time for me to move on,” Holt told Lawi. “Chris Kirubi was a friend, and he approached me and expressed interest in buying it. I knew that he had the resources and the drive to take Capital FM to the next level, so it made sense to pass the baton to him.”
Looking back at what followed, Holt spoke warmly about Kirubi’s stewardship of the station, saying he preserved its character while taking it into areas she felt might have been beyond what she could achieve at the time.
Her return has offered a direct connection to the beginning of the journey that Third Flow is celebrating.
The anniversary has also seen the return of familiar voices and personalities who were once part of the daily lives of Capital FM listeners.
Inset: Eric Latiff
Eric Latiff, who spent many years as a news presenter at Capital FM and is now with NTV’s Fixing the Nation, returned to the station and read the 6pm news bulletin.
Laura Walubengo, whose distinctive voice was long associated with Capital FM, also returned to read a news bulletin.
Inset: Laura Walubengo
The station has also hosted former presenters and DJs for special shows. Maqbul Mohamed and Renee Ngamau returned for a special Breakfast Show programme, while Amina Abdi Rabar and DJ Joe Mfalme also took over the Capital in the Morning show.
Inset: Maqbul Mohamed and Renee Ngamau
Muthoni Bwika and DJ Tumz have also been part of the anniversary reunions, reconnecting with audiences and former colleagues as Capital FM celebrates three decades on air.
The reunions have been marked by reminiscences of the years they spent at the station, with the former presenters recalling memorable moments from their time on air and the programmes that connected them with listeners.
For longtime fans, their return has been a chance to hear familiar voices again and revisit some of the memories associated with Capital FM over the years.
The reunions complement the musical journey at the heart of Third Flow. Together, the returning presenters, DJs and musicians provide a glimpse into the people and sounds that have defined different chapters of the station’s 30-year history.
The 1996–2006 period represents Capital FM’s formative years, the 2006–2016 period another chapter of growth and cultural change, while 2016–2026 reflects the latest decade as radio continues to evolve alongside digital media.
Through the Third Flow Experience, those three chapters will come together through music, DJs, presenters, memories and audiences.
The result is a celebration not only of a radio station turning 30, but of the music and culture that have travelled with it.
The Third Flow Experience will be held at The Stables Magnate City in Limuru, with tickets priced at Sh3,500, inclusive of a meal.
