Diana Nafula is a celebrated radio presenter who currently works at Royal Media’s Sulwe FM. The queen of Bukusu airwaves, as many call her, recently opened up about her private life in an interview with Citizen TV’s Cynthia Mwangi.
From a teenage mother to a stellar media career, this is her story as told by WoK:
Background
Nafula is the firstborn in a family of 5. Her parents were typical civil servants, her mother being a teacher while her father served in the police force.
The celebrated radio presenter has been blessed with two sons, one aged 19 while the other is aged 7.
Speaking to Citizen TV, Nafula, who will be celebrating her 40th birthday in two months, opened up about her tumultuous love life and media career.
Young Love and Unplanned Parenthood
Diana’s teenage love story began when she and her boyfriend started dating in Form Two. They made a pact not to engage in conjugal pleasures until they had completed their high school education.
However, destiny had other plans, and shortly after receiving their KCSE results, Diana found herself pregnant.
Terrified of her strict mother’s reaction, she managed to conceal her pregnancy for six months by wearing baggy clothes and avoiding close interactions with her. Her mother eventually noticed her blossoming figure and, well — the game was up.
“When my mother realized the truth, she was so angry that she beat me – pregnant or not,” said Nafula.
She eventually realized the futility of crying over spilled milk and decided to support her daughter. supportive. In the early 2000s, teenage pregnancy was often associated with immorality and Nafula was severely judged in school and by her neighbors.
Her father, often away due to his police work, learned of the pregnancy later but eventually came to understand the situation.
At eight months pregnant, Diana sought refuge at her aunt’s home due to the increasing chores at her home.
She gave birth and returned home and when her baby was a year old, she left him in her mother’s care while she proceeded to college.
Broken promises
Before going to college, Diana and her baby daddy had agreed to marry after she completed her education. Communication during those times was primarily through letters, as there were no mobile phones.
You can therefore imagine her shock when she completed college and returned home only to discover that her to-be husband had impregnated another girl.
Her child was three years old at the time, and after much deliberation, she decided that the relationship was not worth fighting for.
“That was phase 1 of my character development.” She said.
Baby Daddy No. 2 and Heartbreak
After her college years, Diana landed a job at Royal Media’s Sulwe FM in Nairobi. There, she met a seemingly respectable and church-going man, a youth leader, with whom she fell in love.
They even visited Diana’s parents together, and she was soon expectant with her secondborn. However, her world began to crumble as she noticed red flags in their relationship—his involvement with other women, drugs, and alcohol.
Like many women in her situation, she ignored these warning signs, thinking things would improve. She was wrong.
Instead, they worsened. Her husband, jobless at the time, lived in her house and still had the audacity to abuse and blackmail her emotionally.
This was the beginning of her depression and health deterioration.
Imagine me, a mother of two, weighing only 49 kg,” she said.
Finally, Diana decided to hang her boots on the relationship and prioritize her children. One day, when her husband had traveled to attend his uncle’s burial, she packed her things, hired three of her friends to help carry her belongings, and left.
She would later share her experience on social media as a form of therapy and a lesson to others in her situation. She also became a regular columnist on marriage and relationship issues in national newspapers.
“These things happen to many people. I get so much feedback from people who are going through the same,” she said.
As a single mother and a media personality, the journey has not been easy. According to her, teenagers can be chaotic if they don’t have a father figure to guide them. However, she is a staunch believer in the importance of dialogue in addressing any issues.
The dating scene has also not been easy for her. Having been once bitten, she is now very wary of men who approach her for romantic relationships.
“When they ask me what I am bringing to the table, I tell them that I am the table,” said the celebrated journalist.
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