Media personality Kamene Goro has revealed that the 2013 Westgate Mall terror attack marked the end of her law career, saying the tragedy changed her outlook on life and work.
Speaking during an interview on the Mic Cheque Podcast, Kamene detailed how the death of her then boss and mentor in the attack forced her to abandon her legal ambitions and eventually led her into broadcasting.
Before joining radio, Kamene was pursuing a career in law and working under the late Peter Ldhituachi Simani, a respected lawyer and board director at the former Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK).
“He was a no-nonsense boss. You had to be at work by six in the morning. He wanted excellence and precision in everything,” Kamene said during the podcast
She described Simani as a major influence in her professional development, crediting him with shaping her work ethic and early understanding of the legal industry.
However, her path changed on September 21, 2013, when armed militants from the Somalia-based Al-Shabaab group stormed Nairobi’s Westgate Mall, killing at least 67 people and injuring dozens more.
Kamene recounted that she was out shopping with her mother that Saturday when news of the incident broke.
“At first people said it was a robbery in a bank at the mall, but within minutes it became clear it was something else entirely. The reports changed so fast,” she said.
The following day, she was called to assist with blood donations because she is an O-negative donor type. It was at the hospital that she learned her boss was among those killed in the attack.
“It didn’t make sense. You keep thinking there’s been a mistake. Then you get the confirmation, and it hits you,” she recalled.
Kamene said the death of her mentor devastated her and left her questioning her career direction. After attending Simani’s burial, she decided not to return to the law firm.
“It was also the last time I ever tried practising law,” she said. “After that, I went back to studying, and eventually I moved into media.”
According to Kamene, the events of Westgate were a turning point that altered not only her professional ambitions but also her perspective on life. She said she found it difficult to continue working in the same environment after the loss of someone who had been instrumental in her development.
Following the incident, Kamene returned to school and later transitioned into broadcasting, where she quickly established herself as one of Kenya’s most recognisable media figures. She first gained prominence as a television news presenter before moving into radio, co-hosting several popular morning shows.
Over the years, she has built a reputation for her confident voice, candid opinions and humour, often addressing social and lifestyle issues that resonate with young audiences.
In the podcast, she reflected briefly on that transition, suggesting that her move into media was not planned but emerged from a need to rediscover herself after the tragedy.
“People see the media personality I’ve become, but they don’t always know what pushed me here,” she said in the interview. “That experience changed everything.”
The Westgate attack remains one of the deadliest terrorist incidents in Kenya’s history. On the morning of the attack, four gunmen believed to be members of Al-Shabaab entered the high-end mall, opening fire on shoppers and staff. The siege lasted four days before security forces declared the building secure.
Today, Kamene continues to work in media as a radio host and digital content creator.