Dennis Omondi was the kind of person who held nothing back – he gave of himself freely and for this, developed a wide network of friends and fans. He had an uncanny ability to make people feel comfortable with him, a trait that came in handy in his career as a journalist.

Dennis, who was born on August 15, 1986, spent a lot of his childhood in Kakamega, Busia, Eldoret and Nairobi, and spending these formative years with Kenyans from several different cultures turned him into a patriot and strong believer in the power of unity.

He discovered his talent behind the lens early and developed an eye for the perfect story angle. Like everything else he did, Dennis threw himself fully into his vocation at West Media. Even after he was diagnosed with acute leukemia, he continued to submit stories for publication, and to the best of his abilities, he saw to his obligations as a husband to Nancy Mwanza, father to a Adeline Musundi and Ethan Musundi, as well as a brother, uncle, cousin and friend.

Dennis was generous to a fault, and the wide network of friends he picked up along the way in his work as a journalist can attest to his wisdom, cheerfulness and words of encouragement. Conversations with him were marked by loud laughter, keen listening and a reminder of God’s hand behind humanity. His family remember a man who fought hard and served as an example of how to face adversity with courage and grace.

Dennis, who succumbed to leukemia on July 27 while in hospital in Nairobi, will be buried today at his rural home in Mundasi village in Butula, Busia County.