Kellen Kanze Dena is a memorable and a common name in Kenyan media industry. A celebrated Swahili news anchor, talented with beauty and attractive voice, anchors news for Citizen TV. She was born in Kwale county and grew up in Embu. She belongs to Duruma sub tribe of the larger Mjikenda. Her journey to the top has been rocky, mered by lots of obstacles and retardations.
Here are some facts a bout Kanze.
10. She was brought up by a single mother after her parents separated. She was the forth born. Her father left when she was 4 years old.
9. She is an alumnus of St Mathews Primary School and Kyeni Girls in Embu. She then advanced to study communication at college.
8. At puberty, she suffered low self esteem. Her body development was faster than her peer’s. She felt that her boobs were larger, and she could walk bending to hide them. She even grew aggressive and could fight with boys; a normal means of survival in harsh environment.
7. Low self esteem made her get into influential peer groups. The peer groups introduced her to drugs, especially alcohol. She was drinking alcohol while still in high school.
6. After completion of form four, she worked as a waitress. At the job,she met her first boyfriend who impregnated her and dumped her.
5. She hid the pregnancy form the mother until the day she gave birth. She wanted to take the baby to an orphanage so that she continue with her education, but she later took the baby to her mother. Unfortunately, the baby died after three months.
4. She got a job at the KBC as 4 p.m news reader, while doing her internship. She got pregnant for the second time. They disagreed with her boyfriend, and she also did not want her mother to know of her pregnancy. Frustrations burdened her life further.
3. She attempted suicide twice in her life; she wanted to stab herself or suffocate herself to death.
2. She lost her mother to cancer, a year after getting her job as a news anchor at Citizen TV.
1. She is an artist and she love acting.
By Felix Vincent. O