Kanze Dena (born 1980) is a renowned Kenyan journalist. She serves as the Spokesperson, Executive Office of the President of Kenya. She is also the Head of the President’s Strategic Communication Unit (PSCU).
Before she began to work with the presidency, she had a job as a news anchor. She talked about current affairs, entertainment and held political interviews.
She worked for major networks in Kenya line Kenya Broadcasting Corporation. Kanze also worked for Citizen TV and tabled her resignation letter in 2018.
She left her work after she was appointed the Deputy State House Spokesperson and Deputy Head, PSCU. She was later promoted to the Spokesperson in the Executive Office of the President after six weeks.
Kanze Dena |
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| Background Information | |
| Full Name: | Kellen Beatrice Kanze Dena |
| Born: | 1980 (age 42) |
| Place of Birth: | Kwale County, Kenya |
| Ethnicity: | Black |
| Nationality: | Kenyan |
| Education: | Journalism and Mass Communication |
| Alma mater: | Foundation College of Professional Studies |
| Nationality: | Kenyan |
| Husband • Spouse: | Nick Marrero (m. 2019) |
| Children: | Nathaniel Amani |
| Occupation: | Spokesperson, Executive Office of the President, Republic of Kenya, and Head of President’s Strategic Communication Unit (PSCU). |
| Employer: | Government of Kenya |
| Salary: | Sh. 800,000 |
Early Life
Kanze Dena was born in 1980 to Duruma parents, which make up the Mijikenda community. Her full name is Kellen Beatrice Kanze Dena. She spent most of her childhood days in various parts of Kenya. She was raised in Kwale and Nairobi.
Tribe
Her parents hail from Duruma who initially resided in Mazeras in Kwale. The Daruma, which is made up of nine tribes, is part of the Mijikenda community.
Education
She attended Kianjokoma Primary School (now, St. Matthews Mixed Boarding Primary School). After her primary school education, she studied at Kieni Girls High School for secondary education (O-Levels.
Kanze Dena graduated from secondary school in 1997. She tried joining the premier Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC). All her efforts weren’t successful.
She enrolled to study Journalism and Mass Communication at Foundation College of Professional Studies.
Mother
The journalist revealed that she did not build a strong relationship with her mother Mrs. Zainabu Kiwasi, she adored her. When she became pregnant, Kanze tried to hide it from her mother.
Although she successfully hid the pregnancy from her mother, Mrs. Zainabu found out a day after delivery. Her mother volunteered to take care of her grandchild Natasha. This allowed Kanze to focus on her education.
Sadly, she lost her mother to cancer. The disease was not detected until Mrs. Zainabu fell sick. After rushing her for specialized treatment, it was revealed that she had colon cancer.
Career
During her internship with Kenyan Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) radio, she was a Swahili newsreader. Later, she found a job as a news anchor at the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) TV.
She spent 6 years at the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation before moving to Citizen TV. She became a prominent news anchor in the Kenyan media.
Alongside Lulu Hassan at Citizen TV, she anchored the Nipashe Wikendi for about 6 years. Kanze Dena was a news anchor and director at Citizen TV.
She held the position of Deputy State House Spokesperson and Deputy Head, PSCU. Currently, she is the spokesperson in the Executive Office of the President. Kanze is also head of the President’s Strategic Communication Unit(PSU).
Personal Life
Sadly, she lost her firstborn daughter Natasha. In an interview with Maisha Magic’s Story Yangu segment, she shared that she became pregnant when she had a job as a waitress.
Her then-boyfriend ran away and left her on her own after discovering she was pregnant. She tried to keep the pregnancy from her mother. She found out after the child was born.
She thought about giving out the child for adoption but her mother convinced her to keep her. Then the baby had to go stay with her grandmother in Mombasa. Kanze went on with her studies in the capital of Kenya.
In 2005, rumors of her pregnancy circulated so fast across the internet. Rumors became the truth after the pregnancy became visible. Eventually, she gave birth to a son and named him Nathaniel Amani.
Wedding
Kanze Dena got married on 2nd March 2019 in an invite-only ceremony. The wedding was held at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Laikipia County.
She appeared in a flowing cream gown as she walked down the aisle to her husband Nick Marrero, who dressed in a grey suit. Her husband is the CEO of Nuvision Media. They said their “I dos” around 1 pm.
Social Media
Statehouse spokesperson and Head of President’s Strategic Communication Unit (PSCU) Kanze Dena is active on social media. She shares information about work, family, and memorable times with loved ones.
She has over 284k followers on her official Instagram account.
Salary
Kanze Dena resigned from her media work to replace Manoah at the State House. This new job got her a huge cash increment. After she left Citizen TV, her estimated salary became the talk of the day.
According to Bizna Kenya, Kanze Dena estimated salary is up to Sh. 800,000 per month.
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