I do not apologise for who I am

Orie Rogo-Manduli is known to speak her mind without fear or favour. For that reason, she has clashed with even the mightiest in Kenya, and her courage is visible in the way she is not easily cowed. She takes on the world with sheer force and style, attributes that define her personality. She spoke to SHIRLEY GENGA.

I’m rebellious, capable and different, and I know it. I have never wanted to be anything else but Orie Rogo-Manduli. I’m bold and speak my mind without fear. I’m fastidious and never boring. I do not apologise for who I am — you just have to learn to live with me. I have always been an outspoken person who is never afraid to be different.

My father was ahead of his time and, apart from drilling into us the importance of education, he encouraged my outspoken nature by seeking my opinion on issues. I’m the first born of eight children (four girls and four boys) so you can imagine my life (laughs), so for me being first in everything I do has always been second nature.

Orie Rogo-Manduli

My aunt struggled financially and socially. I decided to hold my head up and worked three jobs to put my daughters through the best schools. During the day I was worked as the marketing and public relations manager at Metal Box Company, and in the evening I worked for KBC as an anchor for Mambo Leo, a current affairs programme.

It was a crazy time. I would carry a change of clothes for my job at KBC because, as the show’s hostess, I was expected to look pretty and sophisticated as the job often involved interviewing VIPs and other special guests.

I worked hard, and it was all worth it. My eldest daughter Elizabeth is an oil and gas engineer; my second daughter Alison owns a human resource organisation, while my third daughter Janice works for Kenya Pipeline in the communications department. My last born son Katyana is a computer engineer and linguistic expert in Japan.

Very flamboyant

After my first marriage, I told my parents I would never get married again but they encouraged me to try again. In 1980, while filming a documentary for BBC in Lusaka on the late Joshua Nkomo, I met Misheck Norman Manduli, a descendant of the Lunda dynasty — one of Zambia’s royal families. He was 30 years older than me but he was more dapper. He was a great traveller and dresser. He was an extrovert and very flamboyant.

When we met it was fireworks. We were perfect for each other. Because he was older, he was more mature and confident. He understood me and encouraged me to be me. His first wife, Mary, had died and he had gotten married a second time but the marriage did not work out. Then he met me.

We got married in 1980 and instantly created a large family — I had three children and he had seven. Interestingly, I was only a couple of years older than his first daughter and we hit it off and became the best of friends. Our home was wonderful and loving, full of warmth and laughter. Our children mingled beautifully. We were blessed with a son (Katyana) in 1983. My first husband had always said I would never bear a son yet here I was, with a baby boy.

The Zambians have a wonderful culture of respect, where both the husband and the wife are attentive to each other and the family. My husband passed on in March 2, 2003. I have remained single ever since. Replacing Norman is not easy — he was a great husband, father, friend, business partner and fellow dreamer.