By Guest Writer
The media fraternity has lost distinguished journalists who dedicated their lives to defending press freedom, championing human rights, holding governments to account and setting high standards for ethical journalism in Kenya. They were bold, authentic and selfless in serving the nation and humanity at large. They neither withered away nor shivered at anything. They refused to quit until death silenced them. These scribes are:
- Leonard Mambo Mbotela
On February 7, 2025, legendary journalist Leonard Mambo Mbotela breathed his last. The country was thrown into mourning and a moment of deep grief. A dark cloud engulfed newsrooms across the country, draping the corridors in a sombre moment. The man whose name and work had inspired many young journalists to join the profession had rested.
Mbotela’s ‘Je, Huu ni Ungwana’ programme on KBC Radio Taifa stayed timeless for decades, cherished by parents and embraced by children. In the villages, where radio dominated the airwaves, families gathered under the shade of trees to listen to Mbotela’s nuggets of wisdom. He spoke with conviction about real, relatable issues happening in society. He pointed out moral decay, criticised professionally and left his audience with stinging rhetorical questions, Je huu ni ungwana? We could easily recite his words, sometimes for fun, other times in genuine admiration and adoration of a man who had become nothing less than a household name.
Perhaps it was for this reason that the 1982 coup plotters looked for him to make the announcement. It was a terrifying moment for Mbotela. His voice pushed the country to the edge of a cliff, but within a short span, restored calm and stability. Such is the life of a legend who deserves a statue, not just a mere sub-arterial road in Eastlando.
- Rasna Warah
A month before Mbotela’s death, the media fraternity had lost another bold and distinguished journalist, Rasna Warah, a wordsmith of uncommon grace whose prose cut deep into the flesh of human rights violators.
She detested impunity and used her pen to shred perpetrators of oppression and suppression of free speech. An author par excellence, Warah devoted her time not just to writing headlines and hard-hitting articles, but also wrote books that advanced the cause of justice, equity and fairness. In one of her books, Lords of Impunity, Warah unflinchingly called out the United Nations, dismantling a long-held belief that the US-based institution is a pristine neutral entity always working toward achieving global peace and justice. Warah was fearless, uncompromising and dangerously daring, even in the face of state harassment and intimidation.
- Ben Githii
On November 7, 2025, the media fraternity lost another brilliant journalist who served the country with zeal, courage and unmatched distinction. Ben Githii was the embodiment of courage, vision and discipline. At just the age of 29, he took charge of the Daily Nation as the editor-in-chief and shaped the newspaper’s strict editorial policies amid menacing state censorship and frequent clampdown on media freedom by Jomo Kenyatta’s government.
The young Githii resisted intimidation and consistently hit the nail on the head when duty called. He believed that journalism could restore order and sanity in a country beleaguered by corruption and impunity. In his quest for justice and truth, Githii never spared anyone. Even when Kenyatta personally warned him about his ‘stubbornness’ and ‘unbecoming behaviour’, Githii went back to his office and tore into the founding president’s government as though no warning had been issued.
When Kenyatta suffered a stroke in May 1968, and the government worked around the clock to conceal the truth, Githii was unstoppable. He ran the story in the Daily Nation, prompting the state to issue a statement, partially agreeing with the report. Veteran journalist John Kamau described Githii as “fearless, sharp-witted and unrelenting in his belief that journalism could confront power and shape a nation’s conscience”.
- Omuga Kabisae
Kabisae had no controversies to his name. Like Mboteta, the veteran scribe earned adoration from the public through his distinctive voice and programme on KBC, Matangazo Maalum na ya Vifo. Kabisae dignified death announcements through his calm and soothing voice that left listeners glued to their radios even after the prime news.
He was an authentic and versatile journalist who effortlessly transitioned from Dholuo service to Swahili service and left an indelible mark on broadcast journalism. When he died on August 11, 2025, social media was flooded with clips of funeral announcements that he had aired in the early 1990s, affirming the intergenerational love and adoration he had enjoyed.
In Kabasae, we learn the power of passion and authenticity. He might have been assigned a mundane task that most of us today would frown upon, but he did it passionately and authentically, leaving an enduring legacy that remains etched in our hearts.
- Edward Kwach
Kwach rose to prominence in the early 2000s, captivating listeners with his effortlessly cool style and a musical palate as rich as the era itself. From his days on Capital FM to his vibrant run at Homeboyz Radio, he became a familiar and comforting voice on Kenya’s airwaves. Until his passing, Kwach was a show host at Spice FM, part of the Standard Group family, where he continued to charm audiences with his trademark warmth and wit. His shows carried a rare blend of soulful music, sharp pop-culture insight, and light-hearted banter—an irresistible mix that won the hearts of listeners across generations. Beyond his on-air brilliance, Kwach was a generous mentor to countless young broadcasters, earning deep admiration within the media fraternity. He is fondly remembered not just for that unmistakable voice but for the sincerity, ease, and authenticity he brought to every moment behind the microphone.
Other prominent journalists who died in 2025 after great service to the profession and nation at large include Sammy Lui, Njoroge Mwaura, Nick Mudimba, Fofona Bangali, Silas Apollo, Ben Ochieng Ogodo, and Kimani Mbugua. May their souls rest in peace.
