Citizen TV journalist Jeff Koinange has shared a poignant family story about the sacrifices his father and grandfather endured during Kenya’s struggle for independence.
Speaking on Spice FM on Friday, December 12, Jeff recounted how his close relatives were imprisoned for a combined 16 years under colonial rule.
Jeff revealed that his father, Fredrick Mbiu Koinange, and grandfather, Chief Mbiu Koinange, were key figures in the fight for Kenya’s independence. His father spent seven years in detention, while his grandfather served nine years, enduring harsh conditions designed to break their spirits.
“The detention was indefinite; there was no trial, no parole, and no assurance of release,” Jeff explained. “Together, my father and grandfather served 16 years of suffering.”
The journalist added that the family’s ordeal extended beyond his father and grandfather, with about 15 other relatives also imprisoned during the colonial era. Cumulatively, he estimated, the family spent over a century behind bars.
Jeff narrated how the moment of Kenya’s independence on December 12, 1963, brought an emotional release for his father. Witnessing the birth of a free nation at Uhuru Gardens, his father reportedly wept, overwhelmed by the sacrifices and the realisation of his lifelong dream.
“Four years after my parents were married, Kenya was granted independence. Our mother told us later that my father shed tears; he could not believe Kenya was finally free,” Jeff said.
The journalist’s reflections offer a personal glimpse into the immense sacrifices made by ordinary families during Kenya’s liberation struggle, highlighting the human cost of the nation’s hard-won independence.
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