Celebrated veteran Mount Kenya journalist Munene Kamau succumbed to cancer at the age of 70 years throwing the region’s media fraternity into mourning.
Kamau from Ithareini village, Kirinyaga County died on Thursday while receiving treatment at Fortes Hospital in Kerugoya town according to his son Michael Bundi who termed the demise as a great loss to the family.
“We have lost our father who has been in and out of the hospital for cancer treatment since March this year when his health started deteriorating,” said Mr Bundi who spoke to the media.
The deceased who started his career in media at the Kenya News Agency (KNA) in 1984 and later 1988 joined the Standard Media Group was a prolific candidate writer who traversed the entire Mt Kenya region back in the day.
Kamau hanged the boots last year and retreated to his Ithareini rural home where he also practiced small-scale farming.
In 1987 during the Kanu administration, Mr Kamau was once arrested and detained and tortured inside the infamous Nyayo Chambers alongside Azimio la Umoja leader Raila Odinga, Wanyiri Kihoro, Wahome Mutahi, Njuguna Mutahi and Okong’o Oyugi among other multiparty crusaders.
The seasoned journalist was later set free without trial but with permanent emotional and physical scars.
Tharaka Nithi Press Club members led by Chairman Alex Njeru remembered the deceased as a brave journalist who performed his duty without fear or favour.
“Though I never went for an assignment with Munene, I interacted with him during a workshop in Embu town organized by the Media Council of Kenya back in 2015,” said Mr Njeru.
He added that the deceased mentored many journalists some currently working in media houses and others in cooperate world as public relations and communication officers.
Njeru insisted on the need for journalists to uphold professionalism by strictly adhering to media ethics.
Mr Sam Munia, an experienced journalist and digital content creator mourbed Munene as a professional who worked with zeal when media houses had no regional bureaus.
“This man traversed the entire Mt Kenya region with zeal. He would always inform you about his experience inside the notorious Nyayo Chambers and anyone who cared about his walking style could notice something was not all right as a result of the torture by the Kanu administration,” wrote Mr Munia on his Facebook page.
“Oh nooo…so sad. Rest in peace colleague and mentor Munene Kamau,” wrote Joseph Muchiri.
