Kaz shares untold story of her humble background
Singer Karen Lucas popularly known as Kaz has narrated the struggles she and her family went through when she was a young girl.
Growing up, she says, she and her mother lived in a servant’s quarters in Garden estate. The two room apartment was shared between the two of them and a house help.
Ironically, she went to school at Braeburn Academy, a prestigious school in the country. But this was only possible because her mother worked as a caterer at the school.
“So yesterday was a day. Like a hellova day. I spent the better part of the morning walking through my old stomping grounds in garden estate. Fun fact (which I realize not many people know), when I was doing my A levels in Braeburn, my mum and I lived in an SQ,” Kaz said.
“She worked in Braeburn as the caterer so my school fee was hugely discounted. Actually, her salary was discounted so I could go to school there. In the next slides I share the 2 room (not 2 bedroom) house my mum and I lived in. One room was a living room/kitchen with a paraffin stove and a fridge and also where our house help slept. And I shared a bedroom with my mum in the second room. We slept on 2 single beds. What looks like a toilet now was actually a pit latrine when I lived there.”
Having to go to a prestigious school then go back home to their small house made her start lying to her friends.
“I would wake up in this SQ of ours and walk to one of the most expensive schools in Kenya. The juxtaposition!! I learnt how to lie about ‘coming from money’ to my friends. I was so embarrassed about that house and I let possibly less than a handful of friends visit me. Now the space has been turned to a storage facility for animal feed,” Kaz said.
“But we lived. and I schooled and I have always jokingly said that my mother died for my sins because of all the sacrifices she made for my brother and I. Going back there has really been a mind f*ck. But I really want to thank @jules_her for holding my hand through this part and making it easy for me to relive those memories. We may not have had much, but what we had was enough!”