Meet Zuri- The Student Who Refuses to Slow Down

At first glance, Mary Wavinya blends easily into the crowds at the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication. Often seen with a cream backpack hanging over her shoulders and braided hair tied in pigtails, she looks like any other college student. But beneath that ordinary appearance is a young woman who is racing against time to rewrite her future.

“You look quite energetic,” I begin the conversation as we stroll the grounds of the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication, where she is currently pursuing a Diploma in Broadcast Journalism. “That’s probably because I’m always on the move,” she chuckles and steals a quick glance at the time, a silent reminder that I only have a few minutes before the next activity on her schedule demands her attention.

Where does all this drive come from?

I ask. “I can’t afford to fail.” She answers bluntly. This instantly piques my interest. She continues, “My mother had me when she was young, and I ended up living with my grandmother in Muselele Village in Makueni County. My mother was well known at that time, mostly because my grandma was active in the local political arena. As I grew up, boys would approach me, and I rejected them all. In their disappointment, they would jeer at me, saying I wouldn’t go any further than my mother went anyway. So, I vowed to prove them wrong.”

This explains why she barely has time on her hands. Besides being a student, she is Zuri – the host of the ECN Alasiri Show, a college basketball player, the Social Media Manager and Sports and Political beat writer, and a shoe entrepreneur.

Why Zuri?

Most of her peers at ECN Radio and the basketball team know her only as Zuri. In fact, the few who know she is also Mary Wavinya only heard of it from her sign-out when she first presented the news at the community station. She laughs slightly before responding.

“I go by many names. The people from my village call me Mjukuu wa Martina, but my grandmother likes to call me Kazuri. She has had such high hopes in my future and always encourages me to break barriers. She’s always wanted me to go beyond my mother’s achievements, and to affirm this, she called me Kazuri. Later, Kazuri grew up and became Zuri.”

Determined to live up to these expectations, Zuri threw herself into every opportunity that aligned with her passions. And somehow, she has learned to make time for them all.

“I play basketball, and that means I have to train every day.” She says, “I wake up at 4 in the morning, say my prayers, and prepare myself to be at the KIMC basketball court by 5:45 am for training up to 7.20 am.” Zuri then returns home to do some house chores and takes a shower. From 10:00 am, she attends to her family’s business, where she manages bank sales for an hour and a half before heading back to the ECN Radio studio at the KIMC campus.

Zuri hosts the Alasiri Show from 1- 4 pm and takes a 30-minute break to grab a bite before meeting us, her classmates at 4:30 pm. One would think her day ends here, but no.

She attends meetings at the ECN newsroom three times a week on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 pm. On other evenings, she uses the time to write stories for The Byline News magazine and catch up with friends before heading back home.

What do you do when you’re exhausted?

“I sleep, and sometimes, when I get a chance, I binge-watch Nollywood movies. Lately, I’ve picked a new hobby of audio editing. Oh, I love discovering new techniques on Adobe Audition!” she chirps.

Is there any hope for a love story in your life at all?

 I probe.

“I knew you were going to ask that!” she bursts out laughing, and I shrug helplessly.  “I have admirers, some I know of, and others who still remain a mystery.” She narrates how she just recently found a snack someone left in her lunchbox while she was doing her show. “At the moment, I see relationships as a distraction,” she explains. “but when the time comes, I believe the right person will be ready for me too.”

What makes you most fulfilled in all you do?

“Basketball and doing my show,” Zuri answers without a second thought. Her face then straightens as if she can literally see herself in the years to come. “I want to be a multimedia journalist… a jack of all trades in the media industry.”

What is one thing people misunderstand about you?

“People often think I’m serious and quiet because I look unfriendly, but I’m actually just observant until I get comfortable,” Zuri says that once they get to know her, they realise she has quite a great sense of humour. “Some people also think I’m naturally confident, but like everyone else, I have my moments of self-doubt

When asked what scares her most, she pauses.

“Failing…and losing someone I care deeply for.”

Her answer reveals yet another side of the confident young broadcaster. Beneath her determination is someone who values deep relationships and fears losing the people who matter most.

If basketball and journalism disappeared tomorrow, Zuri says she would build a career in business, applying the same discipline and determination that define every aspect of her life.

“I just want to become someone my grandmother will be proud of,” she finally says quietly and glances once again at the time. I know it’s time to let her go.

Mary Wavinya’s story is not just one of a busy student. It is the story of a young woman who’s determined to outgrow the limitations others once placed on her. Every early morning practice she attends, every radio show she hosts, every story she writes, and every pair of shoes she sells brings her one step closer to proving that where she came from does not define where she is going. And if her current pace is any indication, then the name “Zuri” is one the Kenyan media industry may hear for years to come.