Leonard Mambo Mbotela wasn't afraid of death, victim of fake news in the past

The late Kenyan broadcasting legend Leonard Mambo Mbotela wasn't afraid of death. In a past interview with 'The Standard', the media icon said he had accomplished what he hoped to.

Mbotela died early Friday, February 7, 2025, after a short illness. He was aged 85.

Famous for his TV and radio shows on KBC, the media legend has been the subject of fake news reports of his death a few times in the past.

So much so that in an interview with The Standard published in February 2018, he decried this menace, but acknowledged that his sunset years were nigh, but he wasn’t afraid of death.

 “(A blogger) had announced that I had died and it was so distressing for me and my family. I got over 90 calls, with people checking up on me. People need to be responsible while disseminating information,” he said at the time.

He went on to say that he had no regrets about the way he had lived his life.

“I have no regrets at all. Some people go to the extent of visiting witchdoctors to avoid death. It is not something I fear. Infact when it comes, we shall say Hallelujah,” he said. He was 77 during the interview.

“What I hope to accomplish before I die is just to continue doing what I'm doing, teaching people good behaviour. I have met people who have told me that my show, Je Huu Ni Ungwana has made them change their habits. That is good enough for me,” said the legend.

Mbotela told ‘The Standard’ then that if he wasn’t on radio, he would have gone into music: “My late father was a musician. He taught Charles Njonjo how to play a piano.”

Now, the country comes together to mourn a man who was fixture in living rooms for decades.

The family has confirmed his death.

The veteran broadcaster leaves behind his wife Alice Mwikali and three children.