Media personality and comedian Steve Thompson Maghana, popularly known as Oga Obinna, has dispelled rumours that he secured a job through backdoor arrangement following his candid interview with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Friday, May 16, 2025.
Speaking to YouTuber 2Mbili just hours after attending the sold-out show of entertainer YY Comedian on Sunday, May 25, 2025, Obinna emphasised that no job offer was ever put on the table during his meeting with the former Deputy President, stressing that their interaction was limited strictly to the interview the public saw online.
“They say Gachagua gave me something? What kind of job are you talking about? There is no deal or anything of the sort,” he stated firmly.
MC job
However, Obinna revealed that discussions are ongoing with Gachagua’s team regarding a potential role as the master of ceremonies during the launch of their political party.
He disclosed that these talks are not directly with Gachagua himself but rather with his close associates, adding that he is enthusiastic about the opportunity as it promises handsome rewards.
“Actually, I am negotiating to MC the launch of his party. I am speaking to his people, not Gachagua, because I need to MC. They should pay me to come and MC that party. I am there to MC the party launch,” he elaborated.
Further, Obinna insisted that people ought to stop reading too much into the interview he conducted with Gachagua, emphasising that it was merely a routine interview that any other journalist could have done.
He said that it was incorrect for people to assume that the interview signalled his support for Gachagua’s camp, clarifying that he is neither backing the opposition nor President William Ruto.
“Obinna is not supporting the government, and he is not supporting the opposition. I am just doing the Lord’s work. There is no place where you will ever see me disrespecting the President, opposition leaders, or any human being because that is not what I stand for,” Obinna affirmed.
He went on to address concerns about whether he fears retaliation from any leader opposed to Gachagua, given the explosive nature of the interview.
Obinna stated that he does not understand why any leader would want to target him, explaining that he did nothing wrong but simply fulfilled his duties as a journalist.
However, he admitted to feeling fear occasionally, especially when he notices a Subaru car closely tailing his vehicle, as he tends to overthink and suspect he is being followed, though he acknowledged that this is a natural human response.
“Fear can happen, but, of course, I am human. Even now when I see Subarus behind me, I wonder what is going on. However, I have not received any information suggesting that I am being pursued. I was not the first person to interview him,” he concluded.
Risky interview
Earlier, on Sunday, May 18, 2025, Obinna opened up about how he and his entire media crew ended up spending the night at the former deputy president’s residence out of fear for their safety, shortly after conducting the hard-hitting interview with him.
Speaking in a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Obinna shared that not only was he personally shaken, but his entire team was deeply uneasy, worried that opponents of Gachagua might come after them.
He explained that because the interview had pushed boundaries, they all agreed it was safer to stay at the residence overnight rather than risk the unpredictable journey back to Nairobi late at night.
“My people and I were genuinely terrified after that interview, so we said, ‘You know what, guys, let us just crash here for the night and hit the road in the morning,’” he said.
However, Obinna added that even after spending the night there, their nerves remained frayed, with the fear following them throughout the next day’s journey back, leaving the whole crew tense and on edge.
He recounted that each time they passed a police checkpoint on the highway, they became paranoid, convinced they were being monitored or followed.
At one particularly intense moment, Obinna instructed his team to start filming immediately, anticipating that they might need evidence in case the authorities detained them at one of the roadblocks.
“The drive from Wamunyoro was so long that honestly travelling at night was not even an option — everyone was extremely anxious, so we just said, ‘Let us sleep here tonight and head out in the morning.’ But then as we were driving during the day, we came across a police checkpoint, and I literally froze. I started asking myself what was about to happen, and I told my people, ‘Pick up the camera and start filming,’” he added.
