A dark cloud hangs over the Kisumu media fraternity as Radio Nam Lolwe grapples with an unprecedented string of tragedies that have claimed the lives of three individuals closely connected to the station. The latest and most devastating blow was the death of beloved radio journalist Florence Awuor Ochieng, known on air as Nyagonyango, who succumbed to Stage 4 breast cancer after a quiet and courageous battle with the disease.
Ochieng, the wife of Radio Nam Lolwe’s Head of Reporters, Jack Otieno Jack, died just days after the passing of the station’s General Manager, Washington Ochieng Oguya, and the father of fellow journalist Donah Kamia. The triple bereavement has left the station reeling, with colleagues struggling to come to terms with the scale and speed of the losses.
In a heartfelt statement shared in the journalists’ WhatsApp group “Jofwambo,” Jack Otieno confirmed the cause of his wife’s death, revealing for the first time that she had been battling breast cancer since 2022.
“Nyagonyango, as I fondly used to call her, was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer in 2023, though the journey of tests and diagnostic procedures had begun back in 2022. By the time of diagnosis, the disease had already spread to her liver,” Otieno wrote.
Florence had opted to keep her condition private, confiding only in a few trusted individuals. One of the first people she disclosed her illness to was Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga, who, upon learning of Florence’s condition, provided Ksh100,000 to support her initial chemotherapy session at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret.
“She continued with several rounds of chemotherapy until around October last year,” Otieno added. “The journey was extremely painful, emotionally draining, and financially overwhelming, but she faced it with incredible strength.”
Florence leaves behind her husband and three children. Her body is currently being preserved at the private wing of Kwee Funeral Home at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) in Kisumu, awaiting burial arrangements.
The sorrow at Radio Nam Lolwe runs deep. Just days before Florence’s passing, the station had begun planning the funeral of General Manager Washington Ochieng Oguya, who died following a brief illness. In the same period, journalist Donah Kamia lost her father, Bernard Kamia Odhiambo, a longtime writer for Mediamax’s People Daily. Separately, People Daily correspondent Kepher Otieno also reported the passing of his brother after a prolonged illness.
“As many of you know, this comes at a time when we are already dealing with profound loss,” Jack Otieno said. “We are mourning our GM, my colleague’s father, and now, my own wife. It is a heartbreaking moment for all of us.”
The Kisumu media community, shaken by the losses, has come together in grief and solidarity, with calls for greater support systems for journalists facing personal and health challenges.
As Radio Nam Lolwe prepares for three funerals in quick succession, colleagues and listeners alike are left reflecting on the fragility of life and the bonds that hold the media family together, even in the darkest of times.
