Veteran Kenyan journalist Muliro Telewa has died aged 68 while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Nakuru.

Telewa, a respected media figure whose career spanned several decades, died on Monday morning after developing complications linked to kidney failure, family members said.

According to his family, Telewa had been living with kidney failure for some time, although the condition had remained manageable. His health reportedly worsened on Sunday evening after he developed a severe cough and was rushed to hospital, where he later died.

His passing has triggered tributes from colleagues, journalists and members of the public who remembered him as a committed reporter and one of the media practitioners who documented Kenya’s difficult struggle for democracy.

Telewa was among journalists who covered the country’s pro-democracy agitation during the Second Liberation era, including the historic Saba Saba movement. He reported during a period when journalists often worked under intense pressure and faced harassment, intimidation and police brutality while covering protests and political unrest.

His death comes just a day before the country marks another anniversary of the Saba Saba protests, a movement he extensively covered during his years as a field journalist.

Born and raised in Western Kenya, Telewa came from a family of public servants, with both his parents serving as prison officers. He later built a journalism career that took him through some of Kenya’s most influential media institutions.

He began his professional journey at the Kenya News Agency, where he gained experience in news gathering, reporting and public affairs coverage. He later joined Nation Media Group, where he covered major national developments and established himself as a reliable field reporter.

During the politically charged 1990s, Telewa was among journalists who reported on the push for multiparty democracy, opposition protests and the unrest that shaped Kenya’s political history.

He later joined the British Broadcasting Corporation, where he spent the larger part of his career. A BBC Swahili profile indicated that Telewa worked with the international broadcaster for about 25 years.

At the BBC, he became one of the veteran voices associated with BBC Swahili, working alongside some of Kenya’s most respected journalists. He was widely known for his commitment to factual, balanced and accurate reporting, values he often described as central to professional journalism.

After retiring from active journalism, Telewa settled in Nakuru and ventured into private business.

His death marks the loss of a journalist who witnessed, documented and helped preserve some of the most defining moments in Kenya’s modern political history.

Funeral arrangements are expected to be announced by the family.