‘A SPECIAL MAN’ JEFF KOINANGE HONOURS LATE FATHER 60 YEARS AFTER HIS DEATH

Kenyan journalist Jeff Koinange led his family in a tribute over the weekend, commemorating the 60th anniversary of the passing of his father, the late Frederick Mbiyu Koinange. 

In an emotional ceremony, family members gathered to lay a wreath at his graveside, marking six decades since the loss of the man Jeff never had the chance to know.

Taking to social media to honour his father, Jeff shared a message: “A special day for a special man….it’s been 60 years since you left us to be with the Lord….Keep Resting With The Angels, Frederick Mbiyu Koinange…Until we meet again!”

The tribute comes just three years after what would have been Frederick Mbiyu Koinange’s 100th birthday. He passed away on March 7, 1966, at the young age of 43, leaving behind a young family.

In a candid interview in May 2023 on Grace Msalame’s show Mali, Jeff opened up about the impact of growing up without a father. He revealed the burden his mother carried after being widowed at just 28 years old.

“My dad died on March 7, 1966, I was two months old,” Jeff recounted. “He left my mum who was 28 years old with four children. My older sister was four and a half, my other sister was two and a half, my brother one and a half and me. I never knew him.”

Jeff described how his mother became his sole provider, playing the role of both parents during a time when single motherhood carried a heavy social stigma. “Mum was my father and mother and she did the job well, we could never thank her. We are talking about the 60s and she never remarried,” he said. “She raised us and gave the best foundation; she took us to the best schools. Mum tried hard to be my mentor and guide.”

He admitted that the absence of a paternal figure became more apparent as he ventured out into the world. He found himself searching for male role models in movies, politics, and the figures around him to fill a void he couldn’t quite explain. “When I went out that’s when it hit me, I had no father figure. Something was missing but I had to keep on moving and find something that inspired me, like movie figures, politicians and people I grew up around. It took a while,” he shared.

Now a father himself, Jeff reflected on how his own childhood shapes his parenting style. “I’m raising my son and I keep on saying, ‘wow I didn’t have this.’ He is lucky to have both parents,” Jeff said.