Katherine kasavuli is trending today. The tv crooner who made a grand comeback to our screens last year after her retirement in 2015 was diagnosed with cervical cancer.
Many Kenyans today have come together and pulled efforts to support the legendary broadcaster who is currently admitted at the Kenyatta National hospital.
The managing director of KBC Samuel Maina issued a statement today morning appealing for a blood donation.’
Dear friends, colleagues and well-wishers. Our dear colleague Catherine Kasavuli is hospitalized at the KNH Private Wing after being diagnosed with cervical cancer.
For those who can, she needs a blood transfusion urgently. Your prayers and moral support will be very welcome,” he told employees.
Citizen TV news anchor Francis Gachuri also mobilised well-wishers on social media to contribute to the blood donation drive at KNH.
Early life
Catherine Kasavuli is a household of nearly every Kenyan. She is among the first veteran female Kenyan news presenter. She was born in 1962 in Nairobi city in the Nairobi West area where she was raised.
Personal life
Kasavuli has always managed to keep her life personal. The only public thing about her personal life is her son Martin who was born in 1981. She stated that she regrets missing her son’s childhood years as she was chasing her career which was quite demanding.
Career
She officially began her journalism career in 1980. She was a radio continuity announcer at the VOK [voice of Kenya], later renamed KBC.
Kasavuli was not aware of her talent until her uncle gave her a nudge to apply for a post at VOK where she got a job. He had heard her voice when she was reading the bible and praying for dinner. At that time she was barely 18 years old.
Catherine later transitioned to television in 1985 after being at the company for a while. She made up for her lack of official papers and professional training by joining the Kenya institute of mass communication. It was two years after being on the job.
Her journalism career flourished and in March 1990 was part of the founding team of KTN as the first privately owned television station in Kenya. Here kasavuli became the station’s, first anchor, to go on the live broadcasts. Previously it was just pre-recorded format.
She worked at KTN for 17 years and left in 2007 to join citizen tv a station owned by Royal Media Services. She later held the position of corporate affairs manager at Royal Media services the parent company of Citizen Tv.
Tv career comeback
Kasavuli officially retired in 2015 but on July 2021 she made a grand comeback to KBC tv station screens. This was after signing a deal with the Kenya Broadcasting Cooperation, where she anchored the weekend news.
In her statement when she started out her tenure at KBC she stated; “I wanted to come to KBC to train anchors to hone their skills but never expected an offer of this magnitude.
She added ‘It’s amazing and exciting, I am truly humbled by the gesture and warmth I have received from the KBC fraternity and Kenyans.
Business
Kasavuli set up a media company Kasavuli media company after retiring from official tv presenting in 2015. Her company has several subsidiaries which include a training institution for broadcasters.
Awards
Kasavuli being a veteran presenter and doing good work was awarded an award in 2008. The award was the Order of the Grand Warrior which was awarded to her during Jamhuri Day Celebrations.
She recently got awarded a Lifetime Achievement award. This was attributed to her exemplary career which she has done for several decades and for her role in the growth of journalism and media in Kenya. The awards were organized by the Media Council of Kenya.