How chance meeting Mambo Mbotela shaped my journey into journalism

I first met the legendary Voice Of Kenya (VOK) radio broadcaster,  Leonard Mambo Mbotela, my childhood idol, in 1983. 

This was shortly after the aborted August 1 1982 coup, which was staged by rebel Airforce soldiers, in an attempt to overthrow the then nascent government of Daniel Arap Moi. 

As it were, the veteran radio broadcaster,  famous for his highly popular radio show "Je, Huu ni Ungwana" would find himself in the thick of things, as the main coup plotters had at the crack of dawn on that fateful Sunday morning, picked him from his house in Ngara and escorted him to VOK, now Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (Broadcasting House), where, at gunpoint, they forced him to read a statement announcing the "short-lived" coup. 

The venue of my initial meeting with the remarkable and phenomenal broadcaster was "Bam Bam" Bar on Eastleigh's 1st Avenue, 12th street, an entertainment joint,  patronised mostly by people from the Mijikenda community living in Nairobi. 

I was personally introduced to the legendary broadcaster by Musa Kitunga Jefwah (now deceased) who was then an Editor with Taifa Leo. Jefwah had earlier left Vthe OK newsroom to join the Nation Media Group. 

I was then 21, and was at the time helping out my father at his tea and grocery kiosk, also located on Eastleigh's 12th street, having earlier finished my Advanced level secondary school education, as I waited to join a University in India - That did not, in a "twist of fate", happen.

I was also at the same time looking for a job at VoK, through one of my father's friends, who was a senior government Human Resource official.  

It is through the separate combined efforts of both my father and Jefwah, that shortly thereafter I secured a part-time job at the VoK newsroom, which thereafter translated into both a permanent and pensionable job.  That is how the story of my joining University in India came to an abrupt end. 

I had also met Jefwah during the tough and tense period that followed the failed coup a few days after Moi declared a 24hr curfew, which was later reduced to 12hrs upon return to normalcy as people started trouping back to the City. 

Jefwah lived in a house on a nearby "Wood street," later "nicknamed," Jam street which is today the home of the famous Garissa Lodge.

In the aftermath of the failed coup, my father's kiosk happened to be one of the only few kiosks which remained open in the "volatile" neighbourhood, thanks to my deep desire to serve my customers, even under the then difficult situation. 

As it were, I had on the night of the attempted coup, found myself on the night shift at my father's kiosk which was a 24hr outfit. It was close to the busy Eastleigh Kenya Bus depot, and would be thrown into a state of turmoil at 3am, following sound of heavy gun fire coming from the direction of the nearby Eastleigh Airforce base, which was one of the rebel air force "mutiny" battlegrounds. 

As it were, the Eastleigh Air base and its environs  experienced some of the heaviest fighting  between the rebel  soldiers and loyal Army soldiers. 

I was to remain trapped at the kiosk for the next few days, following the declaration of a nationwide curfew by President Moi. 

I had in the intervening difficult period to work hard, to ensure my customers got their regular supplies of essential items such as Milk, bread, soda and eggs. 

And with the curfew in place, my father was trapped in his house in Kawangware, and could not make it to the kiosk, until two weeks later.  

Early one morning, shortly after the failed coup, Jefwah sauntered into our kiosk desperately looking for  milk and bread which were not readily available elsewhere in the neighborhood, because of the chaos that had followed the attempted coup.  

It is during one of our initial conversations that I learned my new found friend was a journalist, and it is then 
that I disclosed to him that my childhood dream was in-fact  to become a journalist like him. I told him that I would really appreciate if he would help me secure a newsman job at VoK, a process which I had already started. 

Jefwah would later introduce me to Mambo at Bam Bam bar, where the late extraordinary and highly talented radio broadcaster was a regular patron from mid-morning on Saturdays. 

I would earlier on show up at the bar, which was just a stone's throw from our kiosk, every Saturday morning before noon and position myself at a vantage position, from where I would get a better glimpse of the "living" legend as I sipped my favourite Pepsi soda.  

That was before Jefwah personally introduced me to the Broadcasting icon, who was to go on to become both my workmate and close buddy for the next 20 years at Kenya's premier and national broadcaster, KBC. 

My father now aged 85, was then an ardent soccer fan and loved Mambo's captivating live soccer commentaries in the 80s and 90s, particularly when his favourite team, AFC Leopards was in action. 

I would, later in October that year (1983) land the much-coveted news writing job at the VoK newsroom, which included translation Kiswahili - English for both Radio and TV bulletins. 

My childhood icon, the late Mambo who was by this time, not only my friend but also a father figure, was to become my motivator and professional colleague at Broadcasting House, fondly known as BH for the two decades, I worked there. 

It was during this very eventful period in my life, that KBC sponsored me for professional training as a journalist both locally and overseas. 

I consequently rose through the ranks to become a senior news editor at the KBC newsroom, much to Mambo's delight; one of my mentors and encouragers. 

Even after I left KBC in 2005 to join the Ministry of Information and Communication Hqs, at Telposta Towers, where I served as a personal assistant to the Minister for Information and Communication then, Hon. Mutahi Kagwe, Mambo would often visit me to see how I was fairing on. 

He was indeed very proud of me, having gradually witnessed my growth at both the professional and personal levels, from an early age of 21.   

I'm today a senior citizen and I look back with great pride because of the many young men and women who I have nurtured and mentored during my long and winding career in journalism, spanning almost four decades, while walking in Mambo's footsteps. 

Go well Legend ...Your contribution to the country's broadcasting industry, will not only remain embedded in the history of broadcasting in Kenya, but will remain etched in the minds of all those whose hearts and lives you touched, in your long long broadcasting career. 

Your highly educative and captivating masterpiece landmark radio show: "Je, Huu ni Ungwana"; will occupy a special place in the country's national values and ethos in matters of integrity and social norms 

 RIP

-Joseph Kamutu Mwangi is a Former Colleague at KBC