Kameme presenter Catherine Wanjeri Kariuki has shared her journey of resilience that has seen her through her poignant journey from the hospital bed to hope. 

Speaking to journalists on Friday, July 19, 2024, Catherine recounted the events that marked a turning point as she found herself in the line of fire while covering the Nakuru protests, enduring the unimaginable as she was shot four times at close range. 

Despite the trauma, Catherine expressed gratitude to God for her survival and recognized the fragility of life and the precious gift of each day.

Media fraternity and friends

Catherine has revealed that throughout her hospitalization, she found solace in the unwavering support of her colleagues and friends, who stood by her side, amplifying her voice and shedding light on the brutality of the incident through both social and mainstream media platforms. 

The journalist revealed that their solidarity became a source of strength propelling her towards healing and recovery.

“I am grateful to God… for being able to leave the hospital bed…I know some people came after me, maybe in this same hospital but never left this hospital alive, so I am thankful to God that I have recovered though not fully but I know I will recover with the support I will get from my family, colleagues and friends.”

“The emotional support that you people have given me has made me recover faster. I would see the support on social media… I am so glad that the media fraternity came and spoke on my behalf when I was in pain and I pray to God that everything will be okay,” Catherine remarked.

Further, Catherine said she looks towards the future and remains steadfast in her faith that time will mend her wounds and restore her to full health, allowing her to return to the streets so that she can continue doing what she loves. 

“I pray in due time I will be back on the streets to search for those stories and educate Kenyans and the world at large,” Catherine added.

Mental health support

Further, the presenter was grateful for the compassionate gesture of Nakuru Annex (the Private wing of the Nakuru Level 5 Hospital) in providing her with a psychologist who would be dedicated to foreseeing Catherine’s well-being. 

Catherine acknowledged the importance of mental health support in her healing journey.

“I want to applaud Nakuru Annexe because after I went to the theatre and knew about the incident, they reached out to a psychologist here in Nakuru and she has been counselling and giving me psychological support. 

“I was advised that it is not a one-time thing but a process I have to go through, and there are arrangements for that. It is something I will be doing so that I can go back to work and interact with the same people because police officers are people we interact with more than 90% of our job,” she added.

Acknowledging the complexities of her emotions, Catherine candidly expressed her anger towards the perpetrators of the violence, particularly the police, highlighting the betrayal she felt as someone who believed in the collaborative efforts of the media and law enforcement. 

Despite the turmoil, Catherine added that she remains unshaken and affirmed that though the road ahead may be challenging, she firmly believes that ultimately, it will be okay.

“It is only natural to hate them, I thought we were working as partners to cover the demonstrations, but I have started the process and it is going to be okay,” Catherine noted.