RHONairobi: Meet the sixth housewife, Dr. Catherine Masitsa, the Queen Mother

Showmax has revealed Dr. Catherine Masitsa as the sixth housewife joining The Real Housewives of Nairobi. The fierce, no-nonsense Dr. Catherine (aka The Queen Mother) will be making her official debut in this week’s episode, the fifth, which also sees Minne attempt to bring the ladies into her world.

Watch Dr. Catherine's introduction video here:

One of Kenya’s movers and shakers, Dr. Catherine Masitsa is a veterinary doctor, real estate investor and publisher. She is the founder and managing director of Samantha’s Bridal, East Africa’s leading wedding media company that has ventured into TV shows, luxury bridal events and wedding planning.

Recently, Dr. Catherine also launched a wine brand, Samantha Wines, and is just about to launch her champagne brand.

She is married to a neurologist, Dr. Andras Rosza, and together they have one daughter. We sat down with her to find out what to expect as she makes her debut on The Real Housewives of Nairobi.

How excited are you to be part of The Real Housewives of Nairobi?

I’m very excited to be part of this show because I’m not very big on social media, and I think that through The Real Housewives of Nairobi, my fans will get to see the real me living my fabulous life.

Would you say being on the show has pushed you out of your comfort zone?

I don’t think so. This is how I live and I’m just showcasing it. Yes, of course you’ve got to put your best foot forward but it’s my life. It’s reality. You know you can only pretend for so long.

You joined the show late. What was it like getting to meet the other housewives and bonding with them?

It’s been an eye opener interacting with them, from creating real friendships to friendships being tested. I had my assumptions about them but the more I interact with them in such close, intimate spaces, the more I really get to know them – their frailties, fears, triumphs and personalities, and not what we read about. You get to see that they’re solid people. Everybody is so real and living their lives.

According to you, what differentiates The Real Housewives of Nairobi from other African franchises?

It really captures the essence of Nairobi. Nairobi is a very cosmopolitan city, in the sense that even if you’ve never physically left this city, you will feel like you have left the city and traveled the world. If you have money in this city, then you don’t really need to go anywhere because there’s everything here. This is why people come to Nairobi and they never leave.

What are viewers going to love about you?

I like to see myself as real; I don’t know how to pretend.

What’s one word to best describe you on the show?

I’m formidable. I’m a wall; you can’t get through to me. And I’m a thoroughbred. I put on my blinders and don’t get distracted with whatever else is going on. I’m just climbing one mountain – mine - which is the one with the money at the top.

You’re a woman who’s very big on family. How did they react to you being on the show?

I live for my family, and I work for my family. I like to say that my daughter is my employer because I work for her. My husband is very supportive about me being on the show, and if I ask for anything, he’ll say, “Let’s do it, honey.” And my daughter is a star, and she’s very happy to appear on the show. The camera loves her and she loves it.

You’re also passionate about female representation, and especially for women above 45 years. Why is it important to you that women like you are represented in a show like this?

Being on The Real Housewives of Nairobi, one of the things I like is the fact that the 45+ year-old woman that’s me is represented. The thing about this market (the African market) is that almost everybody caters for the 35-year-old women and below. Just look at the media, and all the advertising, you’ll hardly see women who are above 45 years represented. I can understand that, since the Kenyan (and African) demographic is quite young, they’d focus on 35 and below. But I want to say that the 45+ year-old woman has come of age. We are the people running this town: we’re owning companies, we’re chairing boards, we’re the people really running the real estate market, we’re the people who walk into those homes and buy them, in cash. We’re also the people behind the companies ringing the bell at the Nairobi Stock Exchange. For me it makes sense that we would have that kind of a woman represented on a show like this because we want our girls to see that you can live a fabulous life, you can be fashionable, you can chair boards and become a CEO, and do these things all at once. The 45+-year-old woman is worth her value, and in solid gold, and I hope I bring this out on The Real Housewives of Nairobi.