Investigative journalist Purity Mwambia defended Citizen TV following reports that she had been abandoned in the United States where she fled to after her explosive exposé Guns Galore.
Mwambia said that she was still a member of staff at Royal Media Services, contrary to reports.
She added that the station was still supporting her despite being in the US.
“On Tuesday, I made remarks at a State Department forum in Washington DC narrating my experiences with a human rights group; experiences very well known to that group.
“Just note, I continue carrying my career cross proudly with the total support of my employer back home,” she said in a statement.
Speaking at the Tuesday conference, Mwambia shed light on the unique challenges faced by women in the news industry, particularly those living in exile.
She opened up about the difficulties she encountered during her two-year stay in the US and her struggles to continue her journalism career.
Challenges facing investigative journalists in exile
Mwambia highlighted the difficulties faced by investigative journalists in exile, emphasizing the silencing of their voices when they transition to a new country.
“First of all, when you come here from your country where you’ve done big stories, you’ve quoted all these people who are doing some corruption, big shots in the government… but believe me, when you come here, it’s like your voice is silenced.”
Despite having exposed corruption and quoted influential figures in her home country, Mwambia expressed the challenges of navigating the complex US media landscape.
She shared her frustration at the limited opportunities and her inability to accomplish much in her career since arriving in the US.
“It’s hard to navigate the US media landscape, especially for global journalists. It’s so hard. I’ve been here for two years and I’ve only been able to do one story with one of the local companies.
Adding to her struggles, Mwambia revealed that the organization that facilitated her relocation to the US abandoned her, leaving her on the brink of homelessness.