CS Ababu awards Leonard Mambo Mbotela Ksh.1M for his 'contribution to the nation'

Youth Affairs and Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba on Tuesday paid a visit to veteran broadcaster Leonard Mambo Mbotela at his home in Nairobi to check on his health condition.

The CS, according to a statement from the ministry, presented Mbotela with his Hongera Award and a Ksh.1 million cash prize for “his contribution to the nation.”

“The CS and the legendary broadcaster, famed for his 'Je Huu Ni Uungwana' program, reminisced the good old times in radio broadcasting, especially in sports commentary,” read the statement.

“CS Ababu thanked the broadcaster for his contribution to radio broadcast in the country, adding that his name was firmly etched in the history of our nation.”

The Sports CS commended the legendary broadcaster for what he termed as nurturing and mentoring many journalists in the country today.

Mbotela last year opened up on how he coined the name of his popular show ‘Je Huu Ni Ungwana’ about 56 years ago.

Speaking on Citizen TV’s JKLive show on October 19, 2022, Mbotela said that he came up with the famous slogan while at a popular eatery in Nairobi’s CBD.

He explained that in 1996 he was out on a lunch date with his colleagues when uncouth behaviour from one of his friends towards the waiters sparked a rebuke that bore the programme that has now aired for over five decades.