The Head of State, President William Ruto has joined Kenyans in mourning the death of veteran journalist, Leonard Mambo Mbotela. The Head of State wrote in his social media platforms that, Leonard Mambo Mbotela was a gifted and powerful broadcaster whose alluring voice dominated the airwaves with his first class football commentaries and his signature programme, “Je Huu Ni Ungawana?”
He added that, the veteran journalist will fondly be remembered for the integral role that he played in the radio stations and how he also mentored the young journalists and broadcasters. He finished by saying that their thoughts are with the family and the media fraternity at large during this trying and difficult moment.
It is with sorrow and sadness that, the legendary journalist, Leonard Mambo Mbotela who graced our TV screens has now passed away. He has lost his life at 85 years of age.
He had passion for journalism and he started off his career as a trainee at the Standard Newspaper in Nakuru. In 1964, he made a major transition to the Voice of Kenya, which is now widely known as Kenya Broadcasting Corporation.
In 1982, he had a test of his life during the attempted coup to overthrow President Daniel Arap Moi. The rebel soldiers took him to the studio and compelled him that he should announce that, the government of President Daniel Arap Moi was overthrown.
The coup was finally suppressed and he was the same person who was again given the task to announce to the Nation that, restoration had taken place and things were in order in the government.
He was a renowned journalist and at one point, he had also worked at the Presidential Press Unit. He also bagged a couple of awards like the Head of State Commendation (HSC), which he got in 1987, the Order of the Grand Warrior of Kenya (OGW) which he got in 1992 and the National Hero’s Award, which he got in 2009 as a National Hero for his exemplary work on the landscape of the media in the country.
His demise was confirmed by Anne Mbotela who is his daughter in law. He has been battling sickness for quite some time and he was rushed to one of the hospitals in Nairobi before he breathed his last.
