Veteran journalist and Citizen TV anchor Jeff Koinange has delighted Kenyans after sharing a rare glimpse of his son, Jamal Mbiyu Koinange, while celebrating his 19th birthday.
Taking to his social media pages on Thursday, July 31, Jeff posted a heartfelt birthday message accompanied by a series of family photos showing the two sharing warm father-son moments.
“Happy 19th, Son… Have a Great Day… God Bless you always!” Jeff wrote.
The post quickly attracted hundreds of congratulatory messages from fans, colleagues and friends, many noting how much Jamal has grown and wishing him well as he marks another milestone.
Rare family photos
Jeff, who is known for keeping his family life away from the public eye, rarely shares photographs of his son on social media, making the birthday post especially significant to his followers.
The images show the celebrated broadcaster smiling proudly beside his son during different occasions, capturing the close bond the two share.
In one of the photos, the pair pose outdoors, while another captures a relaxed father-and-son moment, prompting many social media users to comment on how quickly Jamal has grown into a young man.
Several followers also observed the striking resemblance between father and son.
A long journey to parenthood
The birthday celebration carries even deeper meaning given Jeff’s well-documented struggle to become a father.
In previous interviews, the award-winning journalist revealed that he and his wife, Shaila Koinange, spent nearly a decade trying to have a child before eventually succeeding through in vitro fertilisation (IVF) at a fertility clinic in Barcelona, Spain.
Jeff has spoken candidly about the emotional toll the journey took on the couple, recalling how they tried multiple fertility treatments without success.
He once described attending gatherings where friends’ children would be playing, saying those moments reminded them of the family they desperately hoped to have.
Their breakthrough came in 2007 when Jamal was born, an event Jeff has often described as one of the happiest moments of his life.
Mandela’s blessing
One of Jeff’s most memorable stories about his son involves the late South African President Nelson Mandela.
The veteran broadcaster has previously recounted how Mandela regularly asked him whether he had “gotten him a grandson” during the years he and his wife were trying to conceive.
After Jamal’s birth, Jeff contacted Mandela’s office and requested an opportunity to introduce the baby before returning to Kenya.
The meeting was granted, allowing the former CNN correspondent to take his eight-month-old son to meet the iconic statesman.
Jeff has said the encounter became one of his family’s most treasured memories, recalling how baby Jamal calmly reached out and touched Mandela’s face as the two shared a quiet moment.
Private family life
Despite being one of Kenya’s most recognisable television personalities, Jeff has consistently chosen to keep much of his family life private.
The celebrated journalist has previously said that while his professional life is largely public, he prefers to shield his family from constant public attention.
For that reason, photographs of Jamal have remained relatively rare over the years, making each public appearance a point of interest among his fans.
As Jamal celebrates his 19th birthday, Jeff’s simple but heartfelt tribute resonated with many Kenyans, serving as a reminder not only of the broadcaster’s journey to fatherhood but also of the enduring bond between a father and his son.
