By John Oywa
His trade mark goatee and moustache made him stand out among his peers. He was soft-spoken but a firm newsroom administrator whose leadership and mentorship skills made him a father figure.
To most of his friends, he was simply Savimbi, because of his well-kept beard that made him resemble the late Angolan freedom fighter Jonas Savimbi.
Nostalgia
By the time he passed on in August last year, aged 58, Amboka Andere had left a rich legacy in the media industry. He had not only mentored many young writers and editors but also penned acres of stories, editorials and commentaries.
A multi-talented media guru, Amboka made a mark with solid contributions to the various media houses he worked for during his long career.
Most of those who worked with him remember him as a stickler for perfection.
He had a rare mastery of English and had no time for juniors who never beat their deadlines. A versatile writer and an avid reader, Amboka once worked for The Nation, Weekly Review, The Standard and Kenya Times, where he rose to become the editor-in-chief.
His former colleague at the Standard, veteran Sports editor Omulo Okoth, remembers him with nostalgia. “He inspired many of us. He taught us to think outside the box as journalists. He was a prolific writer and often reviewed TV and radio program for the paper,” says Omulo.
He adds: “Whenever he spotted a talent, he would quickly nurture it. He taught us how to write commentaries and features. Amboka was a great man.”
He says while working as a sub-editor at the Standard, Amboka was sometimes seconded to the Sports desk, like in 1987 when Kenya hosted the All Africa Games. “We did a great coverage for the event and Amboka was there to inspire us,” says Omulo.
Walking encyclopaedia
But besides writing, Amboka was also a great musician, earning him the name, Mwanamboka from colleagues.
“He was a superb singer and guitarist. He often used his spare time to sing to us. We admired his many talents,” says Omulo.
At the time of his death, Amboka was a media consultant and a political analyst for the BBC, the Voice of America radio and several TV stations in East Africa.
Most of Amboka’s former colleagues also remember him as a man who played a big role in Kenya’s media Industry.
Nation Media Group Editorial Director Joseph Odindo, who worked with him in the 1980s, was once quoted describing him as a walking encyclopaedia because of his institutional memory and a man well versed in Arts and Culture. “He was an amazing guy, principled and firm in his beliefs. He was respected by many and helped many journalists on the path to professionalism,” Mr Odindo was quoted as saying.
Amboka made a name in the media with his script, hard-hitting television and radio program reviews.
Not for the faint-hearted
In 2004, Amboka, and veteran journalists Philip Ochieng’ and Dorothy Kweyu of the Nation newspapers were honoured by the Kibaki administration for their service to the nation.
A freelance journalist Caleb Ouma, who once worked as an intern under Amboka at the now defunct Kenya Times says the fallen scribe helped many journalists to make a breakthrough in the industry.
“He used to tell us that journalism was not a profession for the lazy and faint hearted. He loved hard hitting and investigative stories,” says Ouma.
He adds: “Amboka was a workaholic and wanted job seekers to prove their worth.
Whenever one came to look for a job as a writer, he would always give him a chance to prove that he or she could write. He believed in practical work and not academic papers.”
