Citizen TV veteran Jeff Koinange turned a solemn farewell into an unforgettable moment when he stepped up to the microphone at the burial of Henry Waireri Karume, 64, and decided the mourners needed a good laugh.
The funeral, held at the family’s Cianda Farm in Kiambaa, Kiambu County, brought together relatives, business associates and political figures to pay their last respects to Henry Waireri, son of the late former Defence Minister and billionaire Njenga Karume. Henry passed away after suffering kidney failure while undergoing dialysis treatment.
Jeff Koinange’s BMW Confession
Rather than sticking to the standard eulogy format, the former CNN journalist switched into fluent Kikuyu, spotted Lucy Wanjiru Karume sitting in the crowd and addressed her directly. Lucy, fondly known as Shiru, is one of Njenga Karume’s daughters and has largely kept a low profile over the years.
Speaking in a blend of Kikuyu and Swahili, Jeff told her:
“Shiru I have known why you rejected me for those many years. It’s because I did not have a BMW, and I did not have money. Ni sawa tu.”
The crowd completely lost it. Mourners were spotted holding their heads, clapping and calling out “Aki Jeff” while Shiru herself broke into shy laughter.
Jeff rounded off the story with his trademark deep chuckle, making it clear he had long come to terms with that particular chapter of his past.
The backstory goes back decades, to a time when Jeff was still a young man from the prominent Koinange family of Kiambaa working his way up before his breakthrough in international media.
The Karume family, by contrast, was already among Kenya’s wealthiest, with the late Njenga Karume holding vast land, hotel interests and businesses. A BMW was the ultimate status symbol in that era, and a young Jeff without one reportedly did not clear the bar.
Kenyans react online
The clip spread rapidly across social media, with many finding the story even more amusing given Jeff’s current lifestyle, which includes top-of-the-range vehicles and a well-documented taste for the finer things.
“Aki Jeff wewe siku izi nikama kuna kitu anatumia,” read one widely shared comment, a playful jab at how handsomely the anchor has aged into his success.
Others were more sentimental, praising him for his groundedness.
“One thing I like about Jeff Koinange, hananga maringo,” one fan wrote.
Henry Waireri was remembered as a quiet custodian of the Karume estate who also had a warm sense of humour, making Jeff’s tribute a fitting send-off. He was laid to rest beside his father at Cianda Farm, but the BMW story will linger long after the ceremony.
Jeff Koinange cracked up mourners at the funeral of Henry Waireri Karume with his fluent Kikuyu in a hilarious moment. Jeff revealed that Lucy Wanjiru one of the Karumes allegedly rejected him despite pursuing her for years simply because Jeff didn’t own a BMW. Aki Jeff wewe siku izi nikama kuna kitu anatumia.
— kox.musªa.Inc (@koxmusaInc_) October 14, 2026
