Usidanganywe! Being a teen mom is hard - Kate Actress

Piece by: Queen Serem
Lifestyle

Kate Actress, real name Catherine Kamau, got her first child at 19 years.

She spoke to girls at Kariokor Social Hall a few weeks ago, advising youth against early pregnancy.

"You look at the likes of Kylie Jenner on social media and the way they slay with the kids and think these kids are dolls," she said.

"At some point, I was encouraging you that you'll be okay. But I realised things turned out good for me cause both of my parents were working and supported my child. I came to realise all of us are not the same."

"It's not okay to be a teen mum and bring a child into this world, not knowing what you can offer them. Because you are a child. A boy that is in form two or one is wasting your time. Unlike us, your generation is different and things are moving so fast."

She said the inability to provide for another human being becomes a burden.

"The reason why I don't want you to get pregnant is that if you get the pregnancy, you become responsible for someone else. Then, you become a burden to your parents," Kate said.

After giving birth, Kate says she underwent depression, with her baby daddy running away.

"I finished high school well, then I went to Kampala to study. Two months later, I came back with a baby degree. My mum was disappointed because she had sacrificed everything," she said.

"When I first told her, she was crushed. She didn't understand. I dropped out and raised the baby and of course, the boyfriend ran away. So I was in depression. I cried every day for a whole year."

Three years later, she went back to school and got a life-changing chance to act at the local drama, "Mother-in-Law", where she made a name in the film industry.

She is now married to film producer Phillip Karanja and is expecting a baby girl.