Family, friends, and colleagues of Journalist Rita Tinina are yet to come to terms with her sudden death.
Many Kenyans continue to pour out tributes to the seasoned journalist.
Tinina’s body was found at her Kileleshwa apartment on Sunday after she failed to report to work.
Eulogising her as a ‘Gentle Giant’ Nation Media Group Editor-in-Chief Joe Ageyo said it is yet to dawn on him of the death of Tinina.
“24 hours ago, I received the tragic news of the passing of my friend and colleague, Rita Tinina or RT as many in the newsroom called her. I still do not know exactly what to think but as I observe the outpouring of tributes and as the hours ebb along, it is dawning on me just how profound this loss is and just how immense Rita’s impact truly was,” he said.
“Indeed, no number of words can fully express everything that needs to be said about this gentle giant who has signed out.”
Ageyo said he met Tinina 23 years ago in the line of duty in the television industry.
He said that Tinina left the greatest impact on him as she embodied simplicity, kindness, grace, humility to an extraordinary degree, impeccable organization, unimpeachable integrity, and rock-solid reliability.
“In spite of her impressive professional achievements and profile, Rita kept her feet firmly on the ground, and her life free of drama. She took every new task with greater enthusiasm than the previous one,” he added.
“She mentored younger journalists with a gentle nudge and expressed her displeasure with a smile. She eschewed office politics and delivered on her tasks with purpose and dignity.”
Ageyo described Tinina as his ‘partner in crime’ as they covered the historic Kenyan cases at The Hague.
The NMG Editor-in-Chief added that she was a consummate professional who played by the rules but never lost a moment to enjoy what she did.
Ageyo said that Tinina was his co-host at some point in his career saying she added a splash of colour to every show they co-hosted.
“Any time I needed to step in as an anchor (of last resort), she would be my co-presenter. And on each of these occasions – and indeed any other – she graced the screen in impeccably tailored attire, radiating elegance and poise. Her flawless sense of fashion effortlessly highlighted the shortcomings of my ill-fitting suits at the time,” Ageyo added.
“Rita called me Onditi – that middle name I rarely use and I called her ‘Masai’, with a deliberately heavy Luo accent and we’d both have a good laugh. That time she probably wanted to take a few days off work and needed to convince me that I would miss nothing in her absence. By then, she would have planned, shot and edited enough stories to cover the entire period of her break.”
Ageyo said that as an editor, it has been a pure joy working with Tinina.
He revealed that when he transitioned from NTV to KTN in 2012, he needed her help and she willingly accepted with open arms.
“When I requested her to come and help me on my mission, she never hesitated, never argued and never bargained for her salary, ‘just get me a good deal’, she said, and a few days later she resigned and came on board. And for the following five years, we did some amazing journalism and even launched a news channel, for which she became a key pillar.”
Ageyo added that Tinina loved to report on stories about the environment, nature and especially, animals wild or domestic.
He said Tinina will not only be remembered for the big and political stories she covered, but for the ‘small’ stories that brought that triumphant smile on her face.
“One of the stories that gave her the most satisfaction was when she traced a bunch of cats that had been left on their own following the death of Starehe Boys’ Centre founder, Geoffrey Griffins, in 2005. Yes, Rita could effortlessly make any story big,” he added.
“So, as we bid farewell to the earthly presence of this gentle soul, I choose to remember her, not as the thread in the tapestry of our lives, but as the vibrant hue that brought everything alight.”
