Media personality Dennis Okari has for the first time talked openly about his highly publicized divorce from fellow journalist Betty Kyallo after just six months of marriage.
During the Daughters of Zion (DOZ) meeting held at Jubilee Christian Church (JCC) on June 24, 2023, Okari opened up about his personal struggles and the difficulties he encountered following the divorce.
The Award-winning investigative journalist bravely disclosed that he wrestled with thoughts of self-harm, reaching a point where the idea of intentionally crashing his car crossed his mind.
“You don’t get married to divorce. At one time I was driving on Mombasa Road and I thought of crashing my car so that I slide into a comma, and by the time I wake up all this shall have passed. I looked for a boulder that used to be on the road but that night I could not see it,” Okari said.
Okari also revealed that one of the most challenging aspects he had to face was being labeled a divorcee. He said it took him a significant amount of time to overcome the stigma associated with divorce, and it was particularly challenging when the judgment came from within the church community.
“I found myself in a place where fellow brethren told me, ‘Dennis, you can’t serve the church to a certain level when you are a divorcee,” he narrated.
Okari said he approached the pastor to discuss the matter but the response he received was disheartening and did not provide the support or encouragement he was seeking.
“That is not your portion,” the pastor told him.
As a result of these challenging experiences, Okari found himself harboring deep-seated feelings of resentment towards women.
“I could not trust any woman ever again. It took me three years to overcome the hate and the process of divorce,” Okari professed.
Okari said he underwent a transformative moment in his life when he found healing through his wife, Naomi, whom he credits as a source of God’s intervention.
