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Inside the Bajeti Hub Journalist Training: Remarks by Ayub Abdikadir Abdi Farah
Gerald Kombo
June 07, 2025
On May 13, 2025, participants of the Bajeti Hub Journalist Training heard from Ayub Abdikadir Abdi Farah, a prominent journalist who shared candid reflections from his career, delivering a motivational and practical session for budding and mid-career reporters.
He encouraged the cohort to embrace their learning phase, emphasizing that journalism is a journey that requires continuous growth, discipline, and self-honesty.
Journalism is a discipline… If you’re not honest with yourself, you’re not going to be honest with the people you serve.
A key part of Ayub’s message was about credibility and impact. He cautioned against loud or performative journalism, advocating instead for accuracy, thoughtfulness, and relevance.
You can’t just be loud. Be correct.
“Don’t focus on being known. Focus on being impactful.
He critiqued the prevalent approach in many newsrooms where journalists simply echo what officials say without analysis or scrutiny:
We just parrot what people say in press conferences… Interrogate what is said. There is no need to capture everything—just capture what matters.
Ayub strongly advised the participants to ground themselves in constitutional and public finance knowledge, citing specific articles and public documents as foundational tools for journalists covering governance, policy, and budgets.
Familiarize yourself with Articles 10 and 35 of the Constitution… Know about budget estimates, vote heads, Auditor General reports.
On local journalism, Ayub emphasized its importance and power, especially in uncovering and reporting on public interest matters in counties. He reminded attendees not to fear confronting those in power.
There is a lot of impactful work done by county journalists… Don’t stop at the statement. Follow up on implementation.
In conclusion, Ayub Abdikadir inspired journalists to pursue journalism with clarity of purpose, rigorous preparation, and commitment to truth.
Prepare yourself. Know your intentions. Stick to the truth. The work will speak.