VIDEO: Meet the now famous Sign Language Interpreter Youla Nzale
Sign language interpreter Youla Nzale speaking to journalists at the Devolution conference in Kirinyaga.
When aย tough-talking President Uhuru Kenyatta took to the stage during theย Devolution Conferenceย 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 overย politicking in his government.
Kenyans.co.keย has established that the lady isย Youla Nzale, a sign language interpreterย forย Citizen TVย prime-time news bulletin.
Inย an interview after Uhuru’s speech, Nzale explained that she was just doing her job adding that facial expression was part of sign language.
โMy emotions went hand-in-hand with the presidentโs tone. I tried capturing every moment in his speech when he was seriousย and sad. Deaf people do not oftenย 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 presidentโs speech,โ she stated.
Nzaleย wasย part of a sign language interpretation team contracted to provide services at the devolution conference.
โAs 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,โ she further conveyed.
On whether she anticipated the attention she receivedย after the clip was shared online, the innately shy Royal Media Servicesย sign language interpreter revealed, “No I did not!”
“And, that should not be the case. You know the president is more important to Kenyansย than a sign language interpreter,” she noted.
![](https://www.kenyans.co.ke/files/styles/article_inner/public/images/news/nzale.jpg?itok=FJBny1MM)
Theย sign interpreter’s mastery equallyย 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 tweepย Shaq Bettย stated.