Kanze Dena talks on life away from the lime light

22 May 2024

• The media personality was appointed as State House Spokesperson in 2017 by now ex-President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Former State House spokesperson Kanze Dena has shared her experience living away from the limelight. In a recent interview with Parents Magazine, Kanze said this time helped her focus on her young marriage.

“I have been good, can’t complain retirement is good. I miss myself. I have been in the limelight for close to 20 years....now that I am in retirement, I'm not there anymore, I'm rediscovering myself because in media people expect you to behave in a certain way. Sasa ata nikijipata Dubois (a famous street near River Road) ni normal,” the media personality said.

Kanze was appointed State House Spokesperson in 2017 by now ex-President Uhuru Kenyatta. In October 2022 she handed over the docket to former TV presenter Hussein Mohammed.

While At the college, Kanze went for attachment at the end of her course. Luckily she landed at KBC, where she met with Terryanne Chebet.

“I remember by that time KBC was only taking student from Kenya Institute of Mass Communication. So we forced to be everywhere to avoid being kicked out. I could do news, be a Assistant -producer and even recite poems.

While at KBC, I was reading news on KBC Radio Taifa, so one day the new anchor on duty had not checked in, so I was forced to step in for him. After the news the editor in Chief who was Hirim Mucheke (Director KIMC now) called me and told that I was good, and I should take up the news bulletin." She shared during an interview in the past.

Kanze added,

"After a few days, I was taken to TV as a Swahili news anchor, where now my journey on TV started. My first day was very tricky after being paired with Bahati Makusini, while on air I lost my voice, the struggles went on for some time but I got better with time."

She has worked with different media houses among them KBC and Citizen TV.