The Standard Group Plc is a multi-media organization with investments in media
platforms spanning newspaper print
operations, television, radio broadcasting, digital and online services. The
Standard Group is recognized as a
leading multi-media house in Kenya with a key influence in matters of national and
international interest.
Kenyan dancer Kanda King has revealed that ignoring the advice of doctors to stretch before going on stage cost him his health.
Speaking in a recent interview with Nation, the acrobat explained that his hip problem began sometime in 2014 when he and other performers were invited to Norway to showcase their craft.
According to Kanda King, their performances were stretched throughout the day and had little to no time to warm up and rest.
“This thing started as a joke. Other than dancing I used to play football some time back in primary, high school… I was a very good striker. It started slowly back in 2014, 2015. I got a contract three times. I went to Norway, the contract was with Amani, there was Idi Achieng and another Mzungu that was playing for us guitar. So we used to play like three times a day in schools and it went for one month.
“I don’t know why but I never used to warm up. We were always being rushed. So I used to do 180 degrees style… those that remember me remember I used to do another style imitating a car and then another one similar to Michael Jackson, so I used to stretch my hips a lot...to make it worse, performing too often in many other different places,” he narrated.
He went on to explain that after some time he started experiencing pain in his groin and later visited the doctor who advised him to go easy on the dancing and to always warm-up before performing.
“It happened the second time I went to Norway because I went three times and I started feeling pain in my groin. We went in 2014, 2015 and 2016. The pain started on my right leg and slowly I started to limp. In 2016 my doctor advised me that whenever I get on stage I have to warm up but I don’t know if it was due to ignorance I didn’t take it seriously because I felt my body would adapt to the dancing,” he explained.
The dance master says he has visited numerous hospitals in search of a remedy for his pain but was advised on hip replacement surgery as soon as possible.
“There’s a time I went to Kikuyu and I met another doctor who was really old and I showed him my X-ray. After analyzing it he couldn’t believe I was still walking because the situation was worse than I thought. He referred me to another doctor who told me I could be confined to a wheelchair if I didn’t act fast,” he added.
Kanda King underwent hip replacement surgery a few days ago and was discharged awaiting second surgery.
“Finally discharged from hospital going home sweet home ...still tusimame na king for the final second right hip replacement!! asanteni sana!!,” wrote King.
