She is arguably one of the most popular radio personalities in Rwanda and has made a name as a leading presenter on 98.7 KFM—Nation Holdings’ Rwanda based radio station launched early this year.

Cynthia Umurungi aka MC Ginty comes across as an aggressive young woman with insurmountable energy yet when she talks, she is a laid-back person.

Born 26 years ago in Bujumbura, Burundi, MC Ginty, as she is known to her fans, returned to Rwanda after 1994, where she completed her education.

Even before joining university, MC Ginty had already made a name as a radio personality.

“I can say the talent maybe and the fact that I like what I do are the two driving factors behind what I am today. I started doing what I do even before I graduated from university. To me when you choose a career, it is very difficult to abandon it even after you qualify in another area of expertise.”

The physiotherapist by profession has a passion for the media and she has not found time to practice her professional trade.

However, she believes one day she may just take a break to put into practice her chiropractor’s skills.

Pursuing a Masters in Business Administration, Ginty believes that her current path was paved by her love for the media and driven by her passion to express herself through the media.

“I just found myself in the media and stayed there,” the presenter says.

MC Ginty, who is rated highly among radio presenters in Rwanda did not actually dream she would be where she is today.

“When I am on radio, I bring up real issues people face in their daily lives, things that affect them,” says MC Ginty, whose Breakfast Show on KFM with MC Tino is one of the most listened to.

Ginty believes with her co-presenter Tino, they form a great team that really understands issues in society and use the show to address them, while involving the listeners, be it on social networks or through calling in.

The trick has made the morning show on weekdays one of the most listened to. Beyond that, Ginty holds her co-host Tino in high esteem, as someone who equally has the charm on radio and appeals to the public.

Ginty is definitely popular and has fame to deal with, given her status. “I am always under pressure. When people identify me as the radio presenter they listen to every day, then I have to keep up the good image, lest I disappoint them.

“People expect some things from you or expect you to conduct yourself in a certain way. It is a good thing on the other hand. You feel like you are blessed that people look up to you and identify with you, even though you have to keep yourself in check,” Ginty says.

She has not let fame get to her head. MC Ginty maintains a certain level of humility that makes her more of an ordinary woman than a Rwandan celebrity. She still hangs out in her usual places.

Her radio career almost suffered a setback when she joined Kigali Health Institute (KHI) to study physiotherapy, after her first year on radio.

The university’s campus for first years is located in Karongi district in Western Province, which meant that she would have to abandon the Kigali radio job for a while.

In her second year, she joined Contact FM, where she was a popular presenter on love and relationship issues, though she admits she’s not good when it comes to relationships.

Umurungi wears many hats, perhaps the most surprising one being that of a politician. The presenter has etched her name on the list of top youth politicians in the country — in fact she recently missed the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) youth seat by a whisker.

She is the secretary of the Rwanda National Youth Council and a commissioner appointed by the Cabinet on the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission.

The presenter-cum-politician believes she has what it takes to advocate for the youth, be it at the national and regional level because she is driven by the passion to empower youth, particularly those in rural areas.

“When I heard about EALA elections, I thought it was my right to contest. To me it was an interesting position because it is East Africa all put together—it was getting strategies of Rwandan youth to the whole of East Africa — I went for it,” she says.

After emerging as one of the two finalists at the national youth assembly level, Umurungi went for the final vote by Members of Parliament where she was beaten by the incumbent Stratton Ndikuryayo.

Even then, Umurungi believes her political career does not end there. She wants to push it for at least six more years to come before diverting to where she can contribute to development of Rwandan youth.

How does she juggle studies, politics and her radio job? Well, she divides her time carefully to ensure that none of her ambitions suffers at the expense of the other.

“What suffers more is my leisure time. That literally means that I have little or no ‘me time’, leave alone a serious relationship,” she says, adding, however, that currently she is still open to any offers.

If you are a man who knows how to respect a woman, make her feel important, beautiful and a man who challenges a woman to be better in all sectors, a man who can add value to a woman, you definitely stand a chance with MC Ginty.

Apart from her radio job, political ambitions and education, Ginty is also a keen businesswoman with an eye on promoting local traditional Rwandan products.

“I consider myself lucky because I have the right platforms to do whatever I do. I love what I do and exploit any opportunity available to grow bigger,” she says.