I Had to Alter My Profession – Kenyan Deaf TV Presenter Shares Journey to Success

Despite being Deaf, Signs TV news anchor Ruth Wairimu described her journey to becoming a great news presenter.

Although in fear of taking on the challenge, Wairimu rose to become one of the top Deaf anchors in the country.

Wairimu described her trepidation of standing in front of the camera during an exclusive interview on Tuesday, August 7.

“In March 2021, I began working as an editor for Signs TV as an intern. Later, the management challenged me to become a TV host, but I was terrified because it was an experience I had never considered before.

I might say that my manager shaped me because it was through the challenge that I first found myself in the studio.

I was so terrified when I arrived at the studio that I started shivering. You see, the fear you feel when you’re in the wrong at home, or when you come home late and you’re afraid your mother will punish you, that’s exactly what I felt,” she explained.

The budding TV presenter, who also hosts a show called The Classroom, which airs on Signs TV every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m., stated that she is always prepared to help other Deaf people become like her. She also urged them to overcome their concerns and pursue careers in the media.

“I am not a self-centered person. I’d like to urge everyone who is Deaf and has a talent for media to pursue it. I am willing to assist because I want to see many individuals become like myself.

I serve as my own role model. I believe that I give my all in my daily tasks, and I hope that others look up to me as a role model,” she concluded.

EDUCATION

Wairimu attended Moi University Nairobi and studied English life skills and hospitality. Her lecturer, on the other hand, saw enormous promise in her and encouraged her to work in the media industry.

“My lecturer told me that I was too beautiful for the course I was taking and that I should be on TV. It was via him that I learned about Signs TV. It was something I’d never heard of before.

Joining Signs TV was the best decision I ever made because it provided me with a platform for growth,” she said.

Wairimu is also a sign language teacher at Valence Primary School in addition to working in the media.