If you have a dream do your best to change it into reality. Strive hard to achieve all your goals and be the best version of YOU – Shiksha Arora (LinkedIn)
The Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) news anchor Shiksha Arora is eloquent, full of energy and possesses an unflinching determination in everything that she does. Arora, who is of Indian descent, is also dancer and social media enthusiast. This article explores the most asked questions about the media personality and why she is a girl with the proverbial nine lives.
Family/Boyfriend
She was brought up in a humble background in India. In a past interview, she disclosed that her mother had an interest in dancing but she couldn’t afford the classes. It is however her mother who influenced her to enrol for the classes when she was only 5. She joined Kamini School of Dance.
Arora is currently engaged to her longtime boyfriend who goes by the name Salman Manji. He proposed to her while they were on vacation in South Africa and she said yes. However, the duo had to convince their families over concerns in their differences in religion as Salman is a muslim.
Education
According to her LinkedIn profile, she studied microbiology and biotechnology at the University of Nairobi. In a past interview, she revealed that she was interested in understanding how various pathogens cause illnesses.
“I was very fascinated with microorganisms growing up. I was the kind of person that if someone got sick I would want to know what exactly is happening (for instance) inside the stomach.
However, in her third year of education, she developed interests in media. She completed the microbiology course anyway and pursued a masters in broadcast journalism at the University of Westminster in the United Kingdom.
Media Career
Arora started her career with Easy FM in 2013 when, alongside her friend, they tried their luck in an audition that was meant for men. Amazingly, they secured a joint slot. Her stint at Easy FM influenced her to switch her career as she claims she didn’t choose media but rather it is the media that chose her.
In 2018, her career was on an upward trajectory after she was employed at K24 TV as a news anchor. She was behind the cameras for only 2 years when the media house fired almost entire newsroom in June 2020. Arora revealed that losing her job weighed down on her spirit as she suffered anxiety and insomnia for one month.
“I never knew insomnia existed until I lost my job, it was one of the most intimidating experience for me because I always believed I was untouchable,” she said.
Arora ventured into social media influencing in order to make ends meet until recently when she was hired by KBC in a reorganization effort by the national broadcaster.
21/9/2013 Westgate Terror Attack
In a near death experience, Arora was at the rooftop of Westgate shopping mall when Al-shabaab terrorists attacked, killing at least 70 Kenyans. She had taken kids to a cooking competition when at around midday they heard the first bang. They were immediately advised to switch off their gas cylinders after it emerged they were under terror attack.
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A grenade was aimed at the place they were but luckily Arora says they saw it bounce but it never exploded. In attempts to flee the scene, Arora followed up a boy who was attempting to jump out of the mall into a parking lot.
” There was a boy next to me and he was trying to jump out, and I was next in line, this boy fell on me and he had blood all over, I think he had been hit by a bullet on his back,” she revealed.
It was an ex British soldier who rescued them and took them out of the mall.
On 21st June 2021, Arora was yet again cheated death when thugs got access to her car at globe roundabout and strangled her in daylight robbery. As she gasped for air, she was forced to hoot prompting the 3 men to flee.
“As he was strangling my neck, I desperately gasped for air, I started hooting loudly to get some attention hoping somebody would help me. People started getting out of their cars and that’s when he let go and fled. He went with my purse but I am traumatized that he attacked me,” she posted on Twitter.
