KATHERINE KASAVULI; THE TELEVISION SIREN

 

THE TELEVISION SIREN

A moment of silence for this special soul that recently departed to be with our Lord and Saviour, the late news anchor, Katherine Kasavuli. It was indeed a sad moment when I heard of Katherine’s passing, for when I last saw her, she was in great shape. That is why it came as a shock to imagine of a woman who was a constant on our tele-screens is no longer with us, for she has exited the earth, and gone for good. That is why today, I choose this day to honour this longstanding  television siren, bemoan her passing, give her the flowers she is deserving of, and accord her a befitting send-off, as we celebrate her life on black history month.

It is on record that the late Katherine Kasavuli was the first female news anchor in Kenya, to have previously worked in other television stations, including, The Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, Citizen Television, and the Kenya Television Network. She was a radio continuity announcer for the Voice of Kenya, back in the eighties, now known as The Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, before she transitioned into television, in the same media station. Indeed, she took over our television screens every single day, to read the daily chronicles of contemporary events in verbatim, with her beautiful and soft-spoken demeanour, making it look all the more easy.

Nevertheless, things were not so rosy in the life of this single mother of one. She regretfully recounts of how she had dedicated much of her time to her work, such that she was not able to give her dear son the quality time he needed in his childhood, being the breadwinner, and having to spend more time in studio, anchoring news for Kenyans at large. Unfortunately, this is the plight of a single mother, the late Katherine had struggled with, whereby one acts like both the father and mother, and also where one makes the ultimate sacrifice of choosing the greater of the evils, fending for the family, at the expense of spending time to raise her children, where she is forced to hire a caretaker, who would help in raising the kids instead. This is the predicament of a single mother I am all too familiar with but that is a story I will unfold for you all, in the days to come.

The late Katherine Kasavuli was a mainstay in our television screens for years on end, having steered news on our local media stations for decades nonstop, and setting an exceptional example for the next generation of news anchors. Granted that she had years of experience in channelling news, yet she had no mentor to guide her through the ropes. Thus, being the first in anchorage, she had to wing it to success.

As a matter of fact, I accredit the late Katherine Kasavuli for instituting fashion into the world of local news casting. From the flawless hair and makeup, to the eccentric wardrobe of clothes and shoes, Katherine the beautiful was slaying with every passing breath, mixing it all up and giving us glamorous looks every single day. Since her broadcasting days, many of television personalities have followed suit, keeping the latest style and fashion trends, kicking it up a notch higher, and giving the late television queen a run for her money, all in good faith. In a word, I dare say that Katherine Kasavuli was and still is the original queen bee of television glam in Kenya.

The late Katherine Kasavuli was no ordinary person. She best fit the idiomatic expression that still waters run deep, having to work as hard as she did, with a smile on her face, as well as challenging people, places, and things, to get to the top of her game. Moreover, she had to battle silently with the monstrous  cancer, a fight that corrodes flesh, delays progress, consumes a chunk of resources, and ultimately takes out the lives its owners. Her battle with cancer is a reminder to us all, that we should first thank God for our health everyday, secondly, ensure to have annual screen tests for cancer, in order to rule out all the possibilities of carrying the disease, and thirdly, we should always live our today, like there is no tomorrow.

Katherine may not have had a fighting chance with the cancerous disease, despite her battling it up to the end. Life happens to even the best of us, who are deemed to be invincible. Perhaps her time had come, and God was impatiently waiting on His child, to grant her the eternal rest she was well worthy of. What else is there to say?

Here is to you Katherine Kasavuli; for a life well lived, for the dreams well fulfilled, for the battle well fought, and for the win well achieved. May your star shine the more brighter, even in the afterlife. Rest in power!