Kanze Dena-Mararo holds a powerful post in the most powerful office in the land, State House.

But growing up was not easy. She struggled with depression and suicidal thoughts.

The former Citizen TV personality Kanze Dena was appointed the State House deputy spokesperson.

This is a position she never thought would be possible to attain given the life hurdles she jumped to get to where she is now.

Here are 5 moving facts about this powerful force that most people did not know.

1. Kanze Dena has battled with self esteem issues from a very young age.

2. She hustled her way to the top. After she cleared secondary school she got a job as a waitress.

3. Kanze lost her first child. This loss plunged her into a dark place. When she got pregnant, her then boyfriend walked out on her and she felt she had failed her mum. Kanze planned to give birth in secret and give the child away for adoption but the well laid plans were foiled.

During delivery, one of her friends tipped Kanze's mother who rushed to Pumwani Hospital where she supported Kanze through the post delivery process.

Later, her mum decided to take care of the baby Natasha, as Kanze focuses on school work and finosh her final secretarial exams.

However, the hand of death struck and took baby Natasha, three months after she was born.

3. Kanze attempted suicide several times. The first time she tried suffocating herself using a polythene bag but it didn't work.

4. Years later, she was blessed with her second child. However, she was plunged deep into the dark alleys of post partum depression. Kanze, again attempted suicide - this time with a knife.

Just after she slit her wrist, she heard her baby crying. Her mother whom she was staying with rushed the crying baby to her. Only to find her hands bloody. Kanze assured her mum that it was an accident and went ahead to his the knife under the bed. Shortly after that incident, Kanze had some good news, she joined KBC as an intern gradually moving into TV as a news anchor.

5. Within the same month, as fate would have it, her mother was diagnosed with advanced Colon cancer. Then just after her son turned one year old, Kanze lost her mother.

The pain was too much and in 2013, she attempted suicide for the third time. At the time she was in Mombasa on a retreat and thought it would be ideal to end her life in the ocean.

Again, her life was saved.

Years later, Kanze overcame all this and is now one of the most powerful women in Kenya.