Veteran journalist Laston Mutegi Njau has been eulogised as a fearless journalist, who throughout his long career called those in power to account.
He died on June 27 after a short illness and was buried at his Ndagani home in Chuka, Tharaka Nithi county.
During his burial service in Chuka, colleagues, friends and family gathered to celebrate Mutegi's life, whose career in the media spans over 40 years.
Born on December 22, 1949, Mutegi joined the Voice of Kenya (VOK) (now Kenya Broadcasting Corporation) in 1979 as a scriptwriter and a producer. He later scripted the Weekly Current Affairs programme, Dunia Wiki Hii and co-hosted the popular weekly press conference.
In 1981, Mutegi Njau joined Nation Media Group until 1984, when he left to join the pioneering Weekly Review Magazine founded by Hilary Ng’weno.
In 1986, Mutegi rejoined Nation and specialised in investigative and political reporting and news analysis.
In 1988, his reporting was recognised and he was promoted as the news editor. In 1992, he was appointed investigative editor.
In 1999, when Nation expanded from newspapers to electronic media, Mutegi was tasked with the role of the news manager for both NTV and Nation FM, where he worked until 2003. He was then transferred back to his post as the investigative editor.
Upon his retirement in 2005, Mutegi was approached by Royal Media Services to start and head a weekly newspaper, The Leader.
The internationally acclaimed journalist will be remembered as a hard task master, who was a tough but caring teacher, trainer, coach and mentor to many young journalists.
"He had a lot of prowess in journalism. He was instrumental in shaping the careers of many young journalists and he has impacted many of the best journalists you see in the media industry today. He thrived to ensure there was excellence and he sacrificed most of his time to shape our careers," said Lucy Kaburia, who spoke on behalf of the media.
"I interacted with Mutegi Njau at a very young stage of my career when I was an intern at Citizen TV. He was instrumental in training and mentoring us and we are grateful to have passed through his hands," said Stephen Letoo, a senior political reporter at Citizen TV.
Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki eulogised Mutegi as a person who interacted with all classes of people and as an honest and professional journalist.
"He was fearless. He would say the truth without caring who was involved and how powerful they might be. He has left a good legacy in journalism in Kenya," he said.
"When I was appointed Nairobi governor, the person I'd go to consult in matters communication was Mutegi Njau. He encouraged and advised me to stand for the truth," former Nairobi Governor Anne Kananu said.
Other leaders present included former Fisheries and Blue Economy PS Micheni Ntiba and former Chuka University VC Erastus Njoka.
