Top 5 Today: Veteran Radio Presenter Mambo Mbotela Passes Away and Other Headlines
National broadcaster Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) presenter, Leonard Mambo Mbotela, passed away yesterday, 7th February 2025.
The veteran presenter got a job in Nakuru, as a reporter with The Standard, after completing his secondary education in 1962 at Kitui High School. Mbotela later joined the Voice of Kenya (now KBC) in 1964, creating his signature programme Je Huu ni Ungwana? in 1966. It is the longest running programme on Kenyan radio to this day, running for the last 55 years.
Many Kenyan leaders have mourned him including President William Ruto:
“We are heartbroken by the death of veteran broadcaster Leonard Mambo Mbotela. He was a gifted and powerful broadcaster whose alluring voice dominated our airwaves with his first-class football commentaries and the signature programme “Je, Huu Ni Ungwana?”
Mbotela will fondly be remembered for the integral role he played on our radio stations — through the mentoring of young broadcasters.
Our thoughts are with the family, their loved ones and the media fraternity at this difficult time.” Said President’s Ruto statement on X account.
Trump Freezes Aid to South Africa Amid Diplomacy Row
USA President Donald Trump is at loggerheads with President Cyril Ramaphosa over South Africa’s new land law, saying it is violating people’s rights. He also states that the southern Africa nation case against its ally Israel, at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), is complicating things further.
This comes a week after Trump threatened to cut funding citing that “South Africa is confiscating land” and “certain classes of people” were being treated “very badly”. Elon Musk, a South African native and Trump’s closest advisor, supported his boss’s sentiments. Taking to his platform, X, he criticised Ramaphosa of “openly racist ownership laws”.
In January, Ramaphosa signed into law, new land policies that allows seizures without compensation in certain circumstances. Since pre-colonial era, land has a been a contentious issue in South Africa with most private farmland owned by white people, 30 years after the end of the racist system of apartheid.
The United States government, has promised to formulate a plan to resettle the affected South African farmers and their families as refugees.
List of Kenyan Companies to be Deregistered
Following a gazette notice No. 1412, issued by the Registrar of Companies, the listed firms will be struck off the register within three months unless objections are raised with the registrar of companies.
The affected companies will no longer have legal standing. They are listed as inactive or non-compliant and will cease to operate in Kenya or hold any properties. The notice will impact employees, creditors, and business partners who have ongoing contracts with these firms.
They 77 companies include:
A Collision With Purpose Kenya, Abacus Hardware, Africa Adorned Jewellery, Africa Payments and Settlement Company, Altech Stream East Africa, Amani Pioneer Group, Ambe Water Resources Limited, Ammar (EPZ), Betsson Development Africa, Bids and Bogi Lifestyle East Africa.
Other include: Brakes and Trailer Parts, Bridgewater, Business Improvement Services,Candela Labs Kenya, Center Field Holdings,Ceragon Networks (Kenya)Chesterfield Properties, Dabasso Rock, Dasey Flowers Limited and Famoso Limited.
Namibia’s Founding Father, Sam Nojuma, Dies at 95
The guerrilla leader who became Namibia’s first democratically elected president, died aged 95 on Saturday, 9th February 2025, reported the Namibian Presidency.
Nujoma became leader, after it won its independence from apartheid South Africa, on March 21, 1990. He was formally recognised as “Founding Father of the Nation” through a 2005 act of parliament.
He was a known ally of Robert Mugabe, and backed up his land seizures orders from white farmers in Zimbabwe. Nojuma however adopted a “willing buyer, willing seller” policy in Namibià.
Nujoma served as president from 1990 to 2005, having served 3 terms. A 1998 constitutional amendment and his call against homosexuality won him a third term in office, under ruling party SWAPO.
Sylvia Mulinge Wins Global Award
MTN Uganda’s CEO, Sylvia Mulinge, has been recognised as the top CEO across all 20 African countries where the telecommunications firm operates. The MTN Global Leadership Gathering (GLG) gala dinner was held in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Thursday, 6th February 2025.
Sylvia Mulinge, previously was the Chief Customer Business Officer at Safaricom, where she was incharge of data, voice calls and digital services like Mpesa.
She was recently named Uganda’s Leading and Most Admired CEO in CEO East Africa Magazine’s 2024 survey. This adds another milestone in her glamarous leadership career.
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