Celebrated journalist Ben Ochieng’ Ogodo is dead.
Ogodo died in the early morning hours of Thursday, April 17, after a short illness. News of the journalist’s death was broken by Amos Aketch. In a statement mourning Ogodo’s sudden passing, Aketch noted that the journalist had fallen ill recently but remained in high spirits on Wednesday.
According to Aketch, the journalist experienced sudden and severe chest pain around 2:00am on Thursday while resting at home.
He alerted his children, who responded swiftly by calling a cab and rushing him to Mama Lucy Hospital. He was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Ogodo was an accomplished journalist who left an indelible impact on journalism, particularly science and environmental journalism.
His efforts were rewarded when, in 2008, he was recognised with the Reuters-IUCN Media Award for Excellence in Environmental Reporting, a testament to his commitment to environmental issues.
The renowned media and communications consultant previously served as the Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Coordinator and News Editor for the UK-based Science and Development Network, an online media house focused on science, technology, and development in the Global South.
In his 12-year stay at the company, from 2010 to 2022, his impact on science journalism was felt across the continent. Ogodo also served as an Executive Board Member for the World Federation of Science Journalists (WFSJ), a role he held for six years from 2017 to 2023.
In the wake of his passing, the Kenya Editors Guild sent out a message of condolence, mourning him as an accomplished journalist.
“We at the Kenya Editors Guild are deeply saddened by the passing of Ochieng’ Ogodo, a long-standing member of our community and one of Kenya’s most accomplished science journalists and editors,” KEG stated.
“Ochieng’ dedicated his life to telling stories that mattered – especially those that helped the public understand science, the environment and developments in ways that were both accessible and impactful,” they further added.
Ogodo’s work has been published and recognised by various global media outlets such as National Geographic, Nature Medicine, The Guardian (UK), British Medical Journal, and locally through The Standard Media Group.
Aside from that, he was also the founding chairperson of the Kenya Environment and Science Journalists Association (KENSJA), providing a firm foundation for the representation of environmental journalists in the country.
His contribution extended beyond journalism, as he was credited with mentoring and training young and upcoming journalists, providing invaluable knowledge borne out of close to three decades of service to the journalistic space.
