Plans to bury veteran radio presenter Leonard Mambo Mbotela at Lang’ata cemetery on saturday, february 15, have led to strong reactions from many Kenyans, including DJ Shiti and Fred Obachi Machoka, who feel it is not fitting for such a legendary journalist. 

Journalist Juma Yassin explained that if Mbotela were to be buried at his ancestral home, it would mean transporting his body to mpanda, a village near lake malawi.

He pointed out that mbotela was not from the coastal indigenous groups but was of yao ethnicity, descended from a freed slave named mzee mbotela, who escaped from an arab slave ship in the 1860s.

Mzee mbotela married ida halima from the kamtunda clan in mpanda, and they had a son, juma mbotela. Juma later wed grace david, a freed slave from seychelles, who had ties to the sultan of zanzibar.

Juma mentioned that most of mbotela’s relatives are buried in the public cemetery at frere town in mombasa. He stressed that the family wishes for Mbotela to be laid to rest at lang’ata and called on kenyans to respect that choice.

Leonard Mambo Mbotela died on 7th February at the age of 85. The legendary journalist was famed for his popular radio and TV programme dubbed Jee Huuu ni Ungwana which aired on KBC radio and TV.