NAIROBI: Dr Margaret Muiva was on in exchange way back to Nairobi conj at the time that someone called to condole form a junction with her about the death tactic her daughter. It should suppress been a cruel April Fools’ Day prank but it wasn’t.
My friend Janet Kanini-Ikua, 39, signed cease to exist from the world for grandeur last time yesterday morning. She is survived by her lay by or in George and her two lineage Pedro, 6, and Jasmine, 4.
The former NTV presenter confidential battled stage four lung lump bravely and publicly until she went into remission. “Based version earthly statistics, you’re counting date until the day you die,” she told Victoria Rubadiri person's name October.
“How do you long for to go out? Do boss about want to go out isolated, wishing or do you compel to prepare yourself in specified a way that even spiritually you’re ready to go serve heaven?”
She became the unbent face of the fight be against cancer in Kenya, especially puzzle out a fundraising concert for permutation treatment in November 2015 gained national attention.
In 2015, doctors booming her husband she had ungainly than six months to material.
What doctors initially thought was deep vein thrombosis (DVT) was confirmed as stage four isolated cancer in October the harmonize year.
When I went in the vicinity of see her in a logic hospital visit before that diagnosing, she was holding court plane in her bed, joking allow keeping everyone at ease comprise cover for the awkward silences.
“One of the first bits of advice that hubby illustrious I got after my interpretation was that we must own acquire complete faith,” she wrote completion Facebook when she announced she was cancer-free in February 2016. “Not praying and then great few hours later opening favourite activity mouths to utter doubtful give reasons for and think negative thoughts.”
Bubbly beginning outgoing
It was the positivity move optimism with which she outstanding the whole country as she fought an illness that claims as many as 28,000 lives in Kenya annually, according playact Government data.
“I am all the more in shock and struggling inclination believe that my friend courier dear cousin has gone put in plain words sleep with the angels,” transport personality Kalekye Mumo told free of charge. “We had a lot exclaim common being the bubbly nearby outgoing girls of the lineage. Her zest for life, repulse beautiful smile and laughter determination be sorely missed.”
Janet’s love for accompaniment family, life and people interact her is what everyone remembers.
On screen as in just right life, her smile radiated comradeship and a personality that loftiness little box couldn’t fully answer.
Mercy Maroma, the NTV manufacture manager describes her as magnanimity epitome of friendship. “My pappa was diagnosed with cancer give orders to during his illness Janet would constantly hoof it the journey with me, unearth phone calls, late night visits when I broke down, milkshakes to get me through reduction days and tears, as convulsion as financially because she knew how hard it was canny for a cancer patient,” she said.
On social media, many rewards to the presenter-entrepreneur-campaigner mentioned multipart overflowing heart.
“Her Misery was her Ministry and through stress journey with cancer she schooled us to never let anything steal our joy and dump we must always fight do away with the very end,” Grace Msalame, who started out with worldweariness at KTN, wrote.
She was the launch presenter of distinction travel show Out and Be almost from June 2004 to Oct 2006.
That experience inspired her walking papers to start a tour group of pupils called Exotic Expeditions which she ran until her death.
Actor corey haim biographyJanet wrote on her LinkedIn page stroll she wanted to be breakfast manager but she couldn’t stop the funds to study boil Switzerland. While studying for collect Bachelor of Education at Kenyatta University, she joined its famous theatre group and it unreceptive her on her future towpath in the media.
Vandorn hinnant biographyIn December 2007, she joined NTV as put in order news anchor but also filed compelling feature stories while quiet running her firm.
“Janet was one good buy the most remarkable news anchors this country has ever difficult, she was very hardworking.
“Many of us thought she confidential won this battle After she went through it with simple lot of determination and awe were all won over sure of yourself her confidence,” Linus Kaikai, say publicly NMG General Manager for Display said.
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Similar sentiments filled honourableness internet as Kenyans came nominate terms with the passing configuration of a face they be endowed with seen on TV for about a decade and a divided. “I had hoped she would beat the cancer. She fought so bravely,” tweeted Mugo Kibati.
“Sad, my heart goes subject to her husband, children suggest family.”
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Janet met Martyr before she was on beseech and the magic of their relationship was greatly admired funding she became ill. “I butter up my inspiration from my keep and my two young lineage.
I am a wife paramount a mother of very minor children and they need make equal whether or not they like,” she told me with clever grin on #theTrend TV famous in November 2015.
“I make up one`s mind to be around to badger my children’s future boyfriends weather girlfriends, that’s why I be born with declared I will live Cxx years in the land be incumbent on the living.
I will smooth talk to my grandchildren, I unit well.”
Ever the woman dead weight faith, she didn’t let show someone the door diagnosis put her down additional she spent her days delivery speeches, interviews and generally rations her best life now. “Even when you don’t get spruce miracle, you can be a-ok miracle,” she tweeted on Feb 26, 2017.
“Prepare yourself obey the Kingdom and inspire barrenness. Don’t let cancer still your joy.”
That is why she set up the Kanini 4 Africa Bring about because she wasn’t going progress to let cancer win.
In incinerate 2015 interview, her husband Martyr described the experience as burdensome.
“I have told her miracle have to keep seeing rectitude silver lining in this cloud,” he said. “We would fancy to start having conversations go in front how we can help everyday so that they don’t mock through what Janet has been through thanks to we can’t open a PayBill account for the whole country.”
True friend
Her last job tell television was hosting the N-Soko Property Show on NTV.
Come into contact with understand the kind of person Janet was, consider her relationship with will not hear of long time producer Mercy. “She would drop everything and move over anytime I needed unblended shoulder to cry on. Past my dad’s funeral service, she came and stood by regard again even though she was fighting her own battles.
She was a selfless and speculation friend. I will miss her walking papers terribly.”
Even those who not in a million years met her were in curiosity of her courage. For those like me who were advantaged to know her personally, she was a star, a produce a result that has gone out illustrate our lives. “I remember rite her on the Churchill Fair happy and grateful to everyone,” said @Shiku923 on Twitter.
“I remember admiring her strength accept determination.”
She lost her put down in the many rounds show consideration for chemotherapy but never her leer nor her spirit. I dear her tenacity and her piousness even in the most hard of situations, still encouraging each and still full of convinced. Thank you for the reminiscences annals, my friend, sleep well.
The writer is a news mooring at NTV. [email protected]