Kanze Dena opens up about adoption drama during first pregnancy

 

Former Government spokesperson Kanze Dena 

Former Government spokesperson Kanze Dena has opened up about her motherhood journey in an interview with Parents Magazine.

The former Journalist told that she has learnt a lot, "A mother is one who is able to give care, who is able to nurture, and to give guidance to c a child."

She recalled her first ever pregnancy, after completing Form Four. 

"The very first time I found out, I thought I was going to die, I had a strict mother and here I was pregnant. I never got pregnant when I was in school.

I had cleared High School. I keep hearing people say I got pregnant when I was in school, no. I got pregnant a year or two after clearing high school. But I was not married and my mum was very strict. Those days getting pregnant out of marriage was you get stigmatized for it."

She went on to reveal that she dreaded what her mum's reaction would be,

"So as soon as I found out I was pregnant I was like, 'ngai, woi' I'm going to die. I will be killed."

She had to quickly come up with a solution,

"It got me thinking about so many things, it got me thinking about my mother and know I'm pregnant, and I was going to college. I was signed up for Secretariat. I booked myself into a hostel instead of commuting from home so that I can be able to hide my pregnancy."

Sadly, this meant she gave up her baby,

"I made up my mind that I was not going to keep the baby."

Kanze spoke to teen crisis counselors who would arrange the adoption of her child when she gave birth.

"That was my option to have the child and give the baby away for adoption."

She was supposed to be spending the weekend with her granny and aunt who didn't know she was pregnant and had to figure out how to get away with the visit.

"So as God would have it, it happened. The day I found myself in labor, so I told my auntie, I need to go back to the hostel, water has come so I need to go wash clothes."

Kanze took herself to Pumwani. She had been assigned a midwife to deal with the process of adoption,

"During adoption, they don't like to give you the baby, coz it creates a bond. I normally have very short labors. So I gave birth fast I think the lady who was assigned to help me give birth was called to attend to something.

So someone else helped me have the baby, and they didn't have the information that my baby was to be adopted. So, they gave me my baby. " 

Laughing she explained her difficult moment,

"I was thinking to my mind, now what's happening creating a bond with this child, I don't want this child, I've not done any shopping, I was already set in my mind how I was going to give away this baby."

However, there was a problem with the adoption decision. Her friend informed her relatives including her mother who rushed to see her to surprise her. The shock made Kanze confused.

Kanze has two sons. 

BY  MAUREEN WARUINGE