The scribe was known for her impactful reporting during the COVID-19 pandemic and had been a health journalist for more than five years
An undated video of a former Nation Media Group (NMG) health journalist Nasibo Kabale living on the streets has gone viral on social media platforms, outlining one of the many cases prominent journalists have fallen from grace having established themselves in the media industry.
The scribe was known for her impactful reporting during the COVID-19 pandemic and had been a health journalist for more than five years, but her current situation has shocked Kenyans and some media circles, igniting fresh conversations regarding mental health amongst media workers.
Kabale leads one Don Wilson to her temporary shelter, showcasing a knife she uses as protection as she sleeps on the streets. She narrates receiving a Presidential Award in 2020 but found herself gripping with a difficult situation caused by the pandemic.
The traumatic experience became even worse when NMG embarked on trimming down its workforce as the pandemic caused serious damage to the country’s economy. This, coupled with a climbing death toll with the virus devastating the general populace, led to her being diagnosed with depression.
Here is the video:
“In 2020, I was given a Presidential Award, so when they fired people, I was among the five people who remained at Nation.
“So that job started disturbing me, seeing people dying during COVID-19. I was diagnosed with depression. There was a time in the office I felt like dying and was taken to Chiromo Hospital, and that’s when they started giving me anti-depressants,” she said.
She made the decisive move to leave NMG after realising that her health was deteriorating. Interestingly, she disclosed that she had never applied for a job in her life. “Even at Nation, they told me to come with papers and was told this is your desk.”
Kabale then disclosed that her daughter at the moment lives with her father and she lamented how bad she felt, not being with her child as she was homeless.
“Actually, he just saw her on the streets. He was covering stories; he is a famous person. They have bonded, and my baby is in Grade Two.
“She eats well, and she goes to school, but I feel bad that I am not there, she is missing out on a mother’s love. It hurts me the most. He (baby daddy) thought it was a disease I had put on myself,” she narrated.
Kabale revealed that at the moment, she survives on jobs like collecting nails and trash from people’s homes to earn a living, and though revealing that she is currently using drugs, she vows to stay off them should she get help to leave the streets.
“It will take me three months to get back to my life. And I can stay one month without substance. I just want to work and provide for my baby. I am a good writer, and I can do that,” she added.
Social media users have shown overwhelming support, with many expressing their sorrow and hope for her recovery. Comments range from prayers for her breakthrough to reflections on the loneliness that often accompanies such hardships.
These stories highlight the critical need to address mental health issues within the journalism profession, where the pressures of reporting, especially on traumatic events, wield the possibility of exacting a significant toll.
A recent NTV feature dubbed Behind The Byline brought to light behind-the-scenes events that take place in a newsroom on a daily basis and hinted at how toxic newsrooms have the potential to deteriorate mental health.
Featuring prominent cases such as budding digital entertainment journalist turned renowned presenter Kimani Mbugua, the feature shed light on mental illness in the newsrooms that are barely talked about on the national scene.
The feature also blew open the inability of major newsrooms to take care of the mental health of journalists, mental health which is often mistaken in the media space as a behavioural problem.
A 2021 report by the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) on the state of mental health in Kenya surveyed 332 journalists and more than half of them were able to identify a mental health problem in themselves or a colleague. The same pool of journalists was also aware of a colleague who had experienced mental health problems.
In the study, journalists blamed conflict reporting, intimidation in the line of duty, the COVID-19 pandemic, work pressure, a toxic work environment, lack of frequent counselling, a bad boss, poor pay, being overworked and a lack of work-life balance.
The report also cites the lack of adequate research on the mental well-being of journalists and recommends more in-depth academic studies on the state of mental health of journalists in the country.
Colleagues and industry leaders are urged to prioritize mental well-being initiatives, ensuring that journalists have access to necessary resources and support systems.
Counsellors, medics, and psychologists advise that you can always reach out for help when experiencing any mental health issue. Call the Kenya Red Cross toll-free hotline, 1199, for support.
