Celebrating Catherine Kasavuli: All you need to know about the departed legendary journalist

Millions of Kenyans who enjoyed every bit of veteran journalist Catherine Kasavuli’s broadcasts were heartbroken by her demise.

Kasavuli died on Friday, December 30, at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KHN) after a long battle with cancer.

The veteran journalist rose to prominence in the 1980s when she smashed the glass ceiling and became Kenya’s first female news anchor on radio and television.

Kasavuli Biography

Kasavuli was born in Nairobi West in 1962.

She attended city schools including the famous Ngara Girls High School before joining Kenya Institute of Mass Communication to pursue a course in journalism.

It is worth noting that Kasavuli started working as a journalist before getting professional training, thanks to her soothing voice and composure.

She was hired as a radio continuity announcer at the Voice of Kenya in 1980 and later transitioned to TV industry in 1985.

In March 1990, she became part of the founding team of KTN as the first privately owned television station in Kenya.

She became the channel’s first anchor to go on live broadcast, a shift from the previous pre-recorded format.

In 2007, Kasavuli left KTN and joined Citizen TV alongside Swaleh Mdoe alias Babu and Louis Otieno.

Other than being a news anchor at Citizen TV, Kasavuli also held the position of corporate affairs manager at the company.

In 2015, Kasavuli retired as a news anchor and embarked on nurturing young talents.

She founded Kasavuli Media Group Limited which owns several subsidiaries including a training school for broadcasters

However, eight years after quitting, Kasavuli made a grand comeback after signing a deal with the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) where she anchored weekend news.

She disclosed that the reason she agreed to return to work was the desire to mentor and hone the skills of young journalists at KBC.

She played this role to the best of her ability and Kenyans relished every bit of her bulletins.

On October 26, the country was shocked when the news of her admission at KNH was made public.

Many Kenyans had no idea the veteran scribe was battling cancer as she always appeared on TV in a jovial and lively mood.

After this disturbing news, things moved so fast. The family pleaded for urgent blood donation as Kasavuli’s health continued to deteriorate.

The journalist however kept the faith and remained positive, always thanking Kenyans for their prayers and support.

“To everyone that’s visited me, prayed with me, and contributed towards my medical bill, I want to say thank you so much, and may God meet with the desires of your heart. To all my online community that’s always sending messages of hope and love – I love you all,” she wrote on her social media pages on November 14, 2023

Kasavuli also shared 6 lessons she learned while in the hospital bed. key among them being loving one’s family and being at peace with all members.

On Friday, December 30, the celebrated journalist breathed her last, throwing the country into mourning.

She died a humble woman despite registering numerous successes in the media industry, including being feted with the Order of the Grand Warrior of Kenya during the 2008 Jamhuri Day Celebrations.

Kasavuli preferred to keep her personal life private.

She has left behind one son, Martin Kasavuli, who was born in 1981.