The country has been sent into mourning following the passing of Legendary journalist and media personality Leonard Mambo Mbotela.
Mbotela, who graced television screens in a career spanning more than five decades, passed away at 85 years of age at a city hospital while receiving treatment.
His demise has been confirmed by his daughter-in-law Anne Mbotela.
Mbotela particularly gained fame for his “Je, Huu ni Uungwana?” television show that gripped many television audiences while it aired since its launch in 1966, and addressed issues of social etiquette and manners.
The program became immensely popular and has been a staple on KBC radio for decades, making it one of the longest-running shows in Kenyan broadcasting history.
In 1987, he received the Head of State Commendation (HSC), followed by the Order of the Grand Warrior of Kenya (OGW) in 1992. In 2009, the Kenyan government honored him as a national hero for his significant impact on the country’s media landscape.
Mbotela released his memoir titled, “Je, Huu ni Ungwana?” detailing his life and times in the media industry in 2024.
Mbotela also gets in the history books of media industry and the wider nation when in 1982 former police bosses Ochuka and Okumu stormed Voice of Kenya (VOK) broadcasting studios (currently KBC Radio Taifa) on Kijabe Street and forced veteran broadcaster Leonard Mambo Mbotela to announce that the military had overthrown the government of former head of state Daniel Moi.
Mbotela is survived by his wife Alice Mwikali and three children: Aida Mbotela, Jimmy Mbotela and George Mbotela.