Leonard Mambo Mbotela: Sombre photos from veteran broadcaster's funeral at Lang'ata cemetery

Kenya bid a solemn farewell to veteran broadcaster Leonard Mambo Mbotela as he was laid to rest at Lang’ata Cemetery in Nairobi.

Mourners turned up in their thousands, their faces heavy with grief, to honour a man whose voice became the soundtrack of a nation’s history.

Politicians, media personalities, and artists stood side by side with his family, paying tribute to a legend whose influence shaped the course of Kenyan journalism.

Among those present were Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Pasaris, veteran radio host Fred Obachi Machoka, musician John Katana of The Mushrooms, and renowned journalists Pauline Sheghu, Kipkoech Tanui, and Zubedah Kananu.

Others who came to pay their respects included football icon Bobby Ogola and sports journalist Mike Otieno.

Mbotela, best known for his legendary show Je, Huu Ni Ungwana? on KBC, breathed his last on Friday, February 7, at the age of 85 after a brief illness.

As his casket was lowered into the earth, the weight of his absence was deeply felt, a voice that once commanded the airwaves was now silenced forever.

His name remains inextricably linked to one of Kenya’s darkest hours. In 1982 held at gunpoint by Kenya Air Force mutineers, he was forced to announce a military coup on national radio, a moment that would etch his name into the country’s turbulent history.

Yet, beyond the weight of that day, Mbotela was remembered as more than a journalist. Colleagues and friends spoke of a man of integrity, warmth, and dedication—one whose voice carried not just news, but wisdom, humour, and a deep love for his country.