Speaking during a morning show on Spice FM on Friday, December 12, Jeff shared emotional memories of how close members of his family suffered imprisonment during Kenya’s struggle for independence.
Jeff took listeners back to the difficult days before the country gained self-rule, describing how both his father and grandfather were arrested by colonial authorities.
He explained that the two men spent a combined total of 16 years behind bars because of their involvement in the fight against colonial oppression.
According to Jeff, his parents’ love story began at a very challenging time in Kenya’s history.
Four years before independence, his father, Fredrick Mbiu Koinange, married his mother, Mary Nyambura.
At that time, the country was still under British rule, and families connected to freedom fighters lived under constant fear and pressure.
Jeff explained that his father was not an ordinary citizen.
Fredrick Koinange was the son of Chief Mbiu Koinange, a respected leader who played an important role in the push for Kenya’s freedom.
Because of this connection, the family became a target of colonial authorities, who often used arrests and long prison sentences to silence those linked to the independence movement.
The journalist recalled how imprisonment affected the family deeply, separating loved ones for years and leaving emotional scars that lasted long after independence was achieved.
Despite the pain, Jeff said these experiences shaped the family’s strong sense of resilience and pride in Kenya’s history.
He noted that growing up with such stories helped him understand the true cost of freedom.
The sacrifices made by earlier generations, he said, should never be forgotten, especially by young Kenyans who enjoy freedoms won through great suffering.