Leonard Mambo Mbotela was a renowned Kenyan journalist, born in 1940 in FreeTown, Mombasa County. He became widely known for hosting the popular show Je Huu Ni Ungwana?

Mbotela’s journalism career began in 1964 when he joined Voice of Kenya (VOK), which later became the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC). His career spanned more than five decades, during which he also worked with Kenya Weekly News and the East African Standard before joining KBC.

One of the defining moments in his career was during the 1982 coup attempt, when Mbotela was forced at gunpoint to broadcast a message falsely claiming that the government of President Daniel Arap Moi had been overthrown.

Mbotela passed away on February 7, 2025, at the age of 84, while receiving treatment at Nairobi West Hospital.

MAPENZI KITSAO