This archive report was first published on 12 July 2019.
On July 12, 2019, fashion designer Shiyenze Muringo Khasoha took to social media to address allegations that she was faking her ovarian cancer diagnosis.
Shiyenze, popularly known for her African print designs, has been at the center of a controversy after a local media house published a video clip that seemed to suggest she had made up her cancer diagnosis and other medical claims.
However, in a statement released by Shiyenze, she refuted the claims, stating that the video clip had been edited to fit a narrative and was being used to sell a story.
“As regards to the video clip shown on Citizen TV, the same has been edited to fit a narrative. It has been used to fit the context of the persons who are hell bent to sell their story,” her statement reads in part.
Shiyenze also clarified that she had raised Sh600,000 for her medical needs, not the Sh2 million purported by the reporters. She maintained that she was diagnosed with Epithelial Carcinoma, commonly known as ovarian cancer, in March 2018 and has since been undergoing treatment.
Shiyenze had come up with a funds drive scheme asking the public to contribute towards her treatment through the purchase of her designs. A poster created for the campaign titled “Vaa Shiyenze and Keep Her Alive” was widely shared on social media and was the talk of the town among the stakeholders in the country’s fashion industry.
