Betty Kyallo, 35, is not a stranger to controversy. She is always caught up in the headlines for one reason or another. This led Betty to recently sue a popular blogger, Edgar Obare, for defamation. The media personality has an interesting aura that makes her a magnet for drama. On the other hand, the mother of one is also a serial entrepreneur who has invested in her brand and high-end beauty parlor.
Early Life and Education
She was born in Kajiado County, Ongata Rongai. Betty is the second child in a family of four siblings. Her other two sisters are Mercy and Gloria Kyallo and one brother (Brian). Her parents are separated but are both actively present in their lives.
Betty undertook her O-levels at Kangundo Girls High and later transitioned to Daystar University where she undertook a Bachelor’s in Mass Communication.
Betty Kyalo Career Highlights
Betty joined Kenya Television Network (KTN) as an intern. She then proceeded to be a prime-time news anchor, airing the 9 PM news bulletin on Fridays (Friday Briefing). The interactive show hosted different personalities in the cultural and political scene.
K24 then poached her and gave her the ‘Up Close with Betty’ program. She didn’t stay long at Media Max, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, she quit to start her own salon and spa business. The high-end beauty parlor, Flair by Betty, is located in Kilimani. In mid-2021 she started two more businesses, Aftershave by Flair Barbershop and BK Closet.
On June 17, 2022, their reality TV series Kyallo Kulture, debuted on the streaming platform Showmax. The series revolves around a new Kenyan reality series about Betty Kyallo and her sisters Mercy and Gloria’s escapades.
Personal Life
The TV anchor was married to Dennis Okari, an investigative journalist, in 2015. The two worked together at KTN and dated for almost six years on the down low. They share a daughter, Ivanna, but went their separate ways after less than a year of marriage.
In the much-publicized 2016 divorce, Okari narrated how he almost became suicidal after his divorce from Betty which caught the headlines of all blogs.
Betty’s daughter was 4 years old when she was admitted to ICU following an autoimmune disease. She was diagnosed with Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM). The rare autoimmune disease made her stop walking, talking, and stopped eating. She became so drowsy and couldn’t even keep her eyes open. It eventually sank her into a deep coma and was on life support for a month. It took her another four months to recuperate.
On Being An Entrepreneur
Early this year, Keysian Auctioneers put her business up for auction after she failed to pay rent arrears. Her published items on the premises were sold by public auction on April 17, 2024.
She said rent had become a burden for her business leading to the closure of her salon being put on auction. In a long social media post, she narrated her ordeal and many people agreed with her.
“Running a business in Kenya has become so difficult. Landlords don’t want to reduce rent and it becomes a huge burden on businesses that are struggling because of the economic slowdown,” Kyalo said on her IG page.
This year around May, Betty joined the media industry again. She works at Cape Media Limited. The news anchor is back at it after a 4-year hiatus where she delved into business ventures. She hosts the 9 PM interactive news program, This Friday With Betty on TV47.
Besides a business enterprise and news anchorage, Betty has also been offering brand endorsement and promotional services through her YouTube channel.
