Media personality Mwende Macharia has given her side of the story of her interview with popular TikToker Azziad Nasenya that went wrong.
The incident, which took place on Wednesday, saw Azziad storm out of Radio Maisha studios after she was questioned on her shortlived role at Talanta Hela.
Speaking exclusively to Nairobi News, the vivacious radio host revealed that she had invited Azziad to appear on her 'Inspirational Wednesday' segment, which focuses on showcasing the achievements of young people who have excelled in various walks of life.
"As one of those people who has achieved great success in her craft, I wanted Azziad to share her story with our audience," Mwende explained.
According to her, the unexpected walk out came when she asked a question about the dissolution of the Talanta Hela Council, a topic they had agreed not to discuss.
"We agreed not to talk about it. No comment. Mwende tukishaongea na tuka agree I will honestly walk out of here. Because we cannot agree on something, then you go back on it," Azziad protested.
"You do not respect me as a brand and I cannot appreciate that, dear. Thank you," she said as she left the studio.
Mwende insisted that such incidents were rare on her shows and that there was no animosity between her and Azziad. She made it clear that as a journalist she was simply doing her job.
"These are the occupational hazards we face in journalism. They happen from time to time, so it's not the first time. I've even befriended an artist who walked out of our studio," Mwende said.
The media personality maintained that her only intention was to inquire whether Azziad's life had been affected by missing out on the Talanta Hela job. She felt it was a fair question to ask as a journalist.
Addressing the trolls and critics, Mwende said that as an established journalist with 14 years of experience in the industry, she would not allow negativity to affect her life.
As for Azziad, Mwende said she had nothing against her and that her actions were purely part of her professional duty.
Nairobi News also reached out to Azziad's manager Peter Kawa who refused to comment further on the incident.
