When a tough-talking President Uhuru Kenyatta took to the stage during the Devolution Conference in Kirinyaga, it’s the sign language interpreter who caught the eye of Kenyans, making the young lady an instant viral sensation.Her facial expressions matched the tone the Head of State used to convey his message as he expressed frustration, disgust and anger over politicking in his government.
Her name is Youla Nzale and she works for Citizen Tv prime time news bulletin. In an interview after Uhuru’s speech, Nzale explained that she was just doing her job adding that facial expression was part of sign language.Sign language interpreter Youla Nzale speaking to journalists at the Devolution conference in Kirinyaga.
“My emotions went hand-in-hand with the president’s tone. I tried capturing every moment in his speech when he was serious and sad. Deaf people do not often read the lips, they cannot hear; so, they read the facial expressions.”So, an interpreter needs to be happy, when the speaker is happy; sad, when the speaker is sad; confused, when the speaker is confused. That explains my facial expressions during the president’s speech,” she stated.
Nzale was part of a sign language interpretation team contracted to provide services at the devolution conference.
“As interpreters, we take turns during such events and live programmes. It just happened that it was my turn to offer sign language interpretation services when the president was speaking. I have never been and was not his official sign language interpreter at the conference,” she further conveyed.
On whether she anticipated the attention she received after the clip was shared online, the innately shy Royal Media Services sign language interpreter revealed, “No I did not!””And, that should not be the case. You know the president is more important to Kenyans than a sign language interpreter,” she noted.
The sign interpreter’s mastery equally saw netizens heap praises on her as the “favouriteperson of the day”.”Big up to the sign language interpreter at the sixth annual Devolution Conference for a job well done. Her facial expressions captured the moment,” a tweep Shaq Bett stated.