Rita Tinina needs to be freed because she won’t be able to find peace if we don’t—Zubeidah Kananu

At the funeral service for the late journalist Rita Tinina, Zubeidah Kananu, President of the Kenya Editors Guild, delivered a deeply moving tribute on Wednesday.

Struggling to contain her emotions, Zubeidah spoke with a voice heavy with sorrow, breaking the solemn silence of the gathering and stirring many to tears.

With each word trembling under the weight of grief, she expressed the profound pain felt by the journalistic community at the loss of Rita.

“It’s a deep wound. Rita was one of us, and her passing has left us profoundly saddened. It’s a wound that cuts deep,” Zubeidah lamented.

Clad in a white dress adorned with a red Maasai shuka, Zubeidah shared that she acquired the shuka during her last assignment with Rita.

In her tribute, Zubeidah painted a portrait of Rita as a person who shunned conflict, never boasted, and treated everyone with respect.

While acknowledging the human impulse to question God’s ways, Zubeidah emphasized the flawlessness of divine providence.

“We may be tempted to question God’s plan at times, but we must also trust in His perfect wisdom,” she reflected.

However, Zubeida urged the mourners to release Rita’s spirit to find eternal peace.

“We pray for God to grant her soul eternal rest. We must release her, for if we hold on, she will not find peace. God has promised to prepare a place for us,” she added.

Drawing from her own experience of losing her mother, Zubeida likened Rita’s sudden death to the unpredictable cycles of sunrise and sunset.

“I’ve come to understand that death is like the rhythm of the sun, rising and setting. We never know when our time will come,” she remarked.

In conclusion, Zubeida urged everyone to reflect on the lessons from Rita’s life and strive to emulate her virtues.