I don’t regret bleaching, it has worked in my favour – Bridget Achieng

About two years ago, Bridget Achieng revealed that she had shelled out approximately Shs 3 Million on her skin lightening procedure.

The busty socialite disclosed that she coughed up the lump sum so that she could build her confidence.

“I didn’t change my skin colour because of a man, I changed it to feel good about myself. Because at that time I felt that if I complied to society’s standards of beauty, I would look better and get anything I want,” she revealed on the Wicked Edition.

Bridget Achieng (Instagram) Pulse Live Kenya

She then went on to say, “I once went to an interview for a TV station. I won’t mention the name. I was the first runners up but walinikataa juu mimi ni mweusi wakachukua msichana mwingine hapo zero-zero juu ni light skin. So kutoka hapo nilijam. Nikasema ni juu ya kupaka mafuta? Nikaamua kupaka mafuta nikuwe mweupe. It has worked in my favour. I don’t regret doing it anyway that’s why I say it boldly.”

Cindy Ogana

Bridget’s story is one of the many stories that demonstrate that colourism in the media industry is prevalent.

TV personality Cindy Ogana once revealed that a station rejected her for being ‘too dark’.

“I was in a reality show on TV where they were looking for a presenter and it did not help that one of the criteria, why I wasn’t selected, was my skin colour and hair. My hair was a topic the judges mentioned but then again remember it was a different time where you could not be a broadcaster when you had dreadlocks. It was seen as unkempt and it was seen as unruly. You had to have a weave and you had to have the skin tone,” Cindy disclosed on Ebru TV’s Let’s Talk Show.

Bridget Achieng (Instagram) Pulse Live Kenya

She also revealed that her skin colour and dreadlocks were not the only things that were keeping her from the job as she was also not big on using makeup, something which is required of a news anchor. “I am dark-skinned, I have my dreads and I have my big mouth and then I’m also not very keen on the makeup and everything,” she revealed.

While many people would have been crushed by this rejection, Cindy disclosed that this rejection only further cemented her steadfastness in being her natural self and embracing her melanin.

“Leaving that show further cemented my resolve to always be natural, to never bleach myself. Whatever season my womanhood takes me through whether it's my menses, my pregnancy I will always be natural and will always keep my natural hair,” Cindy Ogana said.