This archive report was first published on 13 November 2019.
Published on November 13, 2019, Joy Doreen Biira, a former KTN news anchor, has shared a disturbing experience where she was forced to undo her braids before going live on TV.
According to Joy, she had her hair in neat braids and was surprised when her superior asked her to take down the protective style and air the news in something 'presentable'. She claimed that she was dumbfounded by the order as she, an African, was being asked to hide her mane which is her crown and source of pride.
Her sentiments were revived after her pal Nancy Kacungira shared a photo of herself defying the odds and showing up on TV with a head full of braids.
Joy quit KTN back in 2018 after bagging a lucrative government job in the Ministry of Mining. She was also appointed as the official East African correspondent for Deutche Welle and hosts BBC show, She Word.
“Will not forget undoing my freshly plaited braids in the newsroom just hours before going on air to do business news, because standing orders from above said your hair is either straight or you do not get on air,” Joy lamented.
