Wahu: I was once ‘evicted’ before moving into rental house because I’m a musician
Singer Wahu Kagwi has shared her experience of being unjustly denied tenancy of an apartment solely because of her profession as an artiste.
The mother of three expressed her disappointment at the judgement she faced from the house owners, who happened to be Christians.
Recalling her younger years, Wahu reminisced about securing a nice one-bedroom apartment when she was in her 20s.
She was enamored with every aspect of the house, which coincidentally belonged to a Christian organization.
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After putting together the down payment and signing the contract, Wahu’s dreams were shattered when she received a phone call informing her that she could no longer move in.
While she was not given any reasons for the decision, Wahu said she knew it had everything to do with her identity as a musician.
“I struggled and put together the down payment and signed the contract. Then one day, someone called me and told me I couldn’t move in. The reason being that I’m musician (they didn’t say it to my face, but it was obvious). Unfortunately, I was judged as a single young girl who loves to sing… so labda ntakua naleta wababa… ama ntakua nalewa kila siku… I donno… a look they didn’t want to associate with. So even without giving me a chance to show them who I was, I was ‘evicted’ before I moved in,” Wahu recalled.
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Fast forward 15 years later and the same institution approached Wahu with an offer to be their brand ambassador, an offer she declined, although she had already forgiven them and moved on.
However, she says accepting the role didn’t feel right in light of her previous experience.
In Wahu’s opinion, actions speak louder than words, and merely claiming to be a Christian holds no value if one’s actions don’t align with the teachings of love, acceptance and non-judgment.
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She questions whether the church should not embrace those they may perceive as “wayward” and extend compassion, just as Jesus did.
While acknowledging her gratitude for being raised in a church that taught her not to generalize all Christians based on the actions of a few, Wahu urges everyone to uphold values such as love, kindness, understanding and non-judgment.
She believes in being a beacon of these virtues and encourages others to do the same.
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