Veteran broadcaster Leonard Mambo Mbotela, who passed away on Friday, February 7, will be remembered fondly by many for his iconic Jee Huu ni Ungwana segment.
Mbotela passed away after a short illness. His younger brother, Donald Mbotela, shared that Mbotela had been unwell for about two weeks.
“He had been sick for two weeks in Nairobi, I was there, and he had started to recover, but then his situation worsened today before he left us,” Donald said.
Mbotela’s popular Jee Huu ni Ungwana program which aired on Radio Taifa and KBC TV was created in 1966.
The show enjoyed impressive coverage for at least 56 years, becoming a staple in Kenyan media.
Mbotela’s mastery of Kiswahili language, his humorous disposition and his gift of the gab helped him deliver his message to its target audience, in its intended form and with unrivalled clarity.
Leornard Mambo Mbotela Says Hotel Altercation Led to ‘Je Huu ni Ungwana’
The veteran journalist shared the story behind his iconic Jee Huu ni Ungwana programme during a past interview with Citizen TV.
Also Read: Veteran Journalist Leonard Mambo Mbotela Dies
He said the idea for the show was born in 1966 after an altercation at the Pan African Hotel in Nairobi.
“I started this programme way back in 1966. After finishing my continuity radio work at Voice of Kenya (VoK) then, now KBC, colleagues and I decided to go to a restaurant to have some lunch and some drinks. It was on a Saturday afternoon, and we went to Pan African Hotel,” he stated.
At the time, important figures like the late Charles Njonjo, Paul Ngei, and Julius Gikonyo used to frequent the Pan African Hotel, a popular spot in Nairobi.
“We also decided to go there as well to have some drinks and lunch,” Mbotela recalled.
“When we entered there, the table which was in front of us, the likes of Paul Njonjo, Paul Ngei, Julius Gikonyo Kiano were there as we entered. So, one of my colleagues instead of waiting patiently to be served by the waiters there, he started shouting, hello, oye nani yuko hapa oye…”
Also Read: Leonard Mambo Mbotela Profile: Education Background, Family, Career and Age
Mbotela added, that before he could ask his friend, “Bwana, what are you shouting at?” the late Charles Njonjo turned to them, looking at him.
“I told my colleague, Hii tabia gani bwana, unaona wakubwa wanatuangalia? Just be patient, you will be served. Wait for the waiter to come and serve you,” Mbotela recounted.
“He was very sorry, and I told him this is Pan African, not Karumaindo, at Karumaindo you could shout there but this is a different place.”
The Inspiration Behind Iconic Programme
This moment of frustration inspired Mbotela to devise the name ‘Jee Huu Ni Ungwana’ which went on to premiere on the national broadcaster.
“From that day, I started the programme ‘Je hii ni ungwana’ as a quarter-hour programme but now my boss re-edited it and it was extended to half an hour and is still on up to this date,” he said.
The programme aimed at shaping the moral values of members of society in their relationship with one another in their daily today lives.
Mbotela retired from the state broadcaster in 2022. He had been on air for 58 years at the time of his retirement.
In 2023, former Sports CS Ababu Namwamba presented Leonard Mambo Mbotela with the Hongera Award and a Ksh1 million cash prize in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the nation.
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