Jeff Koinange is one of Africa’s most recognisable faces in journalism. Usually, he is the one asking the questions on JKLive. However, in the debut segment of the digital series I Am, the veteran news anchor shared the raw details of his own early life.

The story he told was one of sudden loss and a mother's silent sacrifice. It provided a rare glimpse into the personal history of a man who has spent decades telling the stories of others.

A Two-Month Window

Jeff was born on 7 January 1966. He was the youngest of four children. His time with his father, Frederick Mbiyu Koinange, was incredibly short. Exactly two months after Jeff was born, tragedy struck the family.

On 7 March 1966, Frederick suffered a sudden heart attack. He was rushed to the hospital but died that same night from a brain haemorrhage. The family had very little time to process the shock before the funeral arrangements began.

“I’m the fourth born in a family of 4 kids. Exactly 2 months after I was born, on 7 March 1966, my father passed away. He had a heart attack and was rushed to the hospital, he had a brain haemorrhage and he died that night,” he said.

The President’s Busy Schedule

While traditional burials often take longer, Frederick Koinange was laid to rest just 48 hours after his passing. He died on a Monday and was buried on the Wednesday.

The reason for this hurried timeline was tied to the highest office in Kenya. Jeff’s father was close friends with the founding president, Jomo Kenyatta.

READ ALSO: Emotional Milestone: Citizen TV’s Jeff Koinange Visits Father’s Grave 60 Years Later

The president wanted to attend the burial but had an extremely busy schedule that week.

The only "window" the president had to pay his respects was two days after the death. Because of this political connection and the president’s availability, the family moved forward with the burial almost immediately.

"My dad died on a Monday. He was buried on a Wednesday,” Jeff explained.

A Mother’s Silent Sacrifice

One of the most poignant details Koinange shared involved his mother’s experience during the ceremony. While his older siblings stood with other family members, Jeff’s mother could not physically stand at the graveside.

Because Jeff was only an infant, his mother spent the entire burial sitting inside the family’s Volkswagen Beetle. She had to breastfeed her two-month-old son while her husband was being buried just a short distance away.

"My mother could only attend that funeral by sitting in a car suckling me, the 2-month-old... she couldn't even attend physically the burial of her husband."

The Legacy of a "Tough Woman"

Following the loss, Jeff’s mother raised the four children as a single parent in Kiambaa village. Jeff described her as a very tough and very determined woman. Her main priority was ensuring her children received a high-quality education.

She worked hard to send them to prestigious institutions like Hospital Hill and St Mary’s School. This foundation eventually led Jeff from a 4,000-shilling-a-month job as a messenger to the global stages of CNN and ABC News.

Recently, Jeff and his family marked the 60th anniversary of Frederick’s passing by visiting his grave. It was a quiet moment of reflection for a son who never got to hear his father’s voice.