How Kanze Dena Brokered TV Deal Between Lulu and Rashid

A collage image of Citizen TV anchor Lulu Hassan and State House Spokesperson Kanze Dena (LEFT) and Lulu Hassan together with Rashid Abdalla in the Citizen TV studio (RIGHT).
A collage image of Citizen TV anchor Lulu Hassan and State House Spokesperson Kanze Dena (LEFT) and Lulu Hassan together with Rashid Abdalla in the Citizen TV studio (RIGHT).
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Citizen TV news anchor, Lulu Hassan, has disclosed that State House spokesperson, Kanze Dena, was the brains behind Rashid Abdalla's move to Royal Media Services (RMS) Ltd as her replacement.

Speaking during an interview on Thursday, June 2, Lulu revealed that Kanze birthed the idea of pairing the two lovebirds on air, in what has remained a spectacle never seen before on Kenyan TV.

She added that she was shocked by the proposal as RMS had been looking for Kanze's replacement for weeks, adding that the management was pleased with the idea.

Citizen TV News Anchors Rashid Abdalla (Left) and his wife Lulu Hassan.
Citizen TV News Anchors Rashid Abdalla (Left) and his wife Lulu Hassan.
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"I knew Kanze was leaving way back. It was only Kanze, the Managing Director - Wachira Waruru - and I who knew of her exit and we needed to find a replacement. We really had good chemistry and the boss wondered how it would be if we brought in a female anchor.

“You know you can’t force chemistry on air. If it is not there, people will see. We were at a retreat and we broke the news to others about Kanze leaving and people were shocked. We started looking at who others thought was the best replacement and then Kanze said, ‘what if we poach Rashid?’ He was at NTV and I was like what?” expressed Lulu.

Lulu explained that Kanze thought her reunion with her husband on TV would help viewers cope with her departure from the screens, an idea the company's management welcomed.

"The Managing Director agreed and stated that Rashid would help cover the departure of Kanze unlike if it was a female anchor. People would have compared the replacement with Kanze. People now focused on husband and wife rather than Kanze who we really had good chemistry with."

On her first day working with Rashid, the Swahili TV anchor expressed that she did not feel weird working with her husband after working for years with her friend, Kanze.

She expressed that it was joy working with a husband, stating that Rashid often makes jokes while in studio.

"At first, there were mixed feelings about how it would go down. He was comfortable because he was joining the best team. We do joke all around. There are times he will tell a joke and we will all laugh but I will say enough but not in a bad way," she stated.

Despite the dynamic duo being separated by Kanze's departure to State House, she stated that she maintains a close relationship with President Uhuru Kenyatta's spokesperson, stating she considers her a friend.

"We are just like sisters. Even when we don't talk for a while, I usually know that I have a sister somewhere who is there for me."

Kanze announced her departure from Citizen TV in June 2018 while hosting her last 7pm news bulletin with Lulu.

President Uhuru Kenyatta (right) greets State House Spokesperson Kanze Dena at State House in June 2018
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta (right) greets former State House Spokesperson Kanze Dena at State House in June 2018.
PSCU