It is hard to miss out Leonard Mambo Mbotela from a crowd. His distinguishing physical features coupled with an authoritative, distinct voice, set him apart. And it is his gifted voice that has seen him survive in the media for many years.
Leonard Mambo Mbotela is popularly known for his show Je Huu ni Ungwana? The programme is the country’s longest running radio and TV programme relayed on Kenya Broadcasting Channel’s (KBC) Radio Taifa and KBC TV. He offers, “It began as a 15-minute programme but its popularity saw it increased to a 30-minute show. So successful is the programme that it has been running for 52 years.”
Despite being well advanced in years, the legend is still strong and healthy. In an Interview with Jeff Koinange on JKL Show, he revealed that exercising, quitting smoking and drinking and God are what keep him going .
He isn’t there for the girls, or the booze. And not for the boys either. And he will be the centre of attention.
Not for his cool moves on the dance floor, though he does have some, but for his smooth voice. He is there to entertain. And boy can he belt out the ‘Zilizopendwa’ tunes.
Ms. Mbotela
Just like most of the great stuff in Mambo’s life, he found love in the studio.
“She was a great fan of my programs, so she came to Broadcasting House to see what I looked like. She was so cute I fell in love with her. I took her round the studios, we had tea, and she sat through one of the shows I was doing. You can be assured I was on my A-game that day when presenting the show.”
They got married three years later, in 1970, and the couple is blessed with three children.
Mbotela has always praised his wife, saying she is a wonderful person with high morals, ever since they first met.
And yet, in an interview, Mambo Mbotela revealed that his wife has been living in their isolated home for a considerable amount of time.
