Former Standard Group journalist Ochieng Ogodo is dead.
His family and colleagues said he died on Thursday April 17 morning as he was being rushed to the hospital in Umoja area, Nairobi.
Kenya Editors Guild announced the death.
KEG CEO Rosalia Omungo said Ochieng had been feeling slightly unwell in recent days, attributing it to a mild flu. She said on Wednesday evening, Ogodo was in good spirits and even followed the Arsenal vs Real Madrid match, sharing his thoughts actively on Facebook.
At around 2am, while resting at home, he experienced sudden and severe chest pain. He immediately alerted his children, who responded quickly by calling a cab and he was rushed him to Mama Lucy Hospital.
On the way, they also reached out to their uncle, Dan Ogodo, who met them at the hospital.
“Sadly, despite the prompt efforts, Ochieng was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital’s emergency section,” Omungo said.
Ochieng had worked for the Standard Group handling various sectors including politics and health before venturing to other media houses.
His colleagues described him as a hard working and dedicated journalist who had contributed a lot in the industry.
He was the Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Coordinator and Editor for the UK-based Science and Development Network (SciDev.Net) for 12 and a half years.
He served on the Executive Board of the World Federation of Science Journalists (WFSJ) from 2008 to 2023.
He also worked for the National Geographic, Nature Medicine, The Guardian (UK), The Standard Media Group (Kenya), and the British Medical Journal.
He won the 2008 Reuters-IUCN Media Award for Excellence in Environmental Reporting for the English-speaking regions of Africa and the Middle East.
He holds a Master of Arts degree in Communication and Media Studies, specializing in Development Communication, from the University of Nairobi.
Email your news TIPS to Editor@kahawatungu.com or WhatsApp +254707482874