‘Some people wanted me to die’: Azziad opens up on life after fame

Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu once said, ‘a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step’; this is the ideal description of the life of sensational Kenyan superstar Azziad Nasenya.

Azziad, speaking on the Engage stage, opened up on the highs and lows she has gone through from her early childhood in the countryside, on the outskirts of Mumias, to moving to the big bad city where she eventually found continental stardom and made a name for herself at the height of a pandemic, ironically.

According to the 21-year-old, it took her long enough to get to where she is, and the road wasn’t always as smooth and filled with roses as people think.

Azziad, whose TikTok dance video went viral in 2019, says that as some people see your star rising, others are focused on pinning you back down.

“I was unbound, then boom, COVID came, I want viral. It took me 19 years to become a sensation," she said, narrating how people who had no time to help her during the early stages when she was struggling with her career suddenly developed an interest in her once she became famous.

She went on to point out how new relatives she never even knew existed emerged out of the blues and began celebrating and claiming her. 

Azziad further revealed how her private mobile phone number leaked online, adding that that was when she came head-on with the ugly side of social media.

“I always read about cyberbullying in schools, never thought about it, or knew it would happen to me,” she stated, reminiscing how she received cruel messages and insults from strangers who called her all manner of names.

“Unacheka kama punda, you’re ugly, you look terrible without make-up…some even wanted me to die,” she said, noting that most of the comments hurt her, despite the fact that there were a few encouraging ones as well every now and then.

She similarly divulged how she was body-shamed as people shared her old photos in contrast with those of the person she thought she was now becoming; photos she had only held on to as a reminder of her journey.

To Azziad, most people want to associate with celebrities once their stars begin align, but before that, she said, nobody cares.

“As things change for you, people will change towards the direction of your fortunes. People don’t know about the sleepless nights, the struggles and hard work, people don’t care how you struggle to get a decent font for content creation...when you burn the midnight oil,” she said.

“Although theatre may seem glamorous, out here it is tough, people do not attach value to it as it is seen as a path taken by those who fail to pursue real careers,” she said.

While exuding confidence that her journey is only just starting, the trained journalist who also doubles up as a vlogger, actress and radio presenter, advises that: “It doesn’t hurt to be kind; it will not take away anything from you.”