Renowned psychiatrist Prof. Lukoye Atwoli has broken his silence on how he is truly coping in the weeks since laying his wife, Maureen Nyadida Lukoye, to rest, and his words paint a picture far removed from the composed public figure many Kenyans see.
In a heartfelt Facebook post that surfaced on Tuesday morning, Lukoye was candid about the toll grief has taken, even when he appears to be holding it together from the outside.
“Also, friends, it is not well. Even when we seem to be doing doing well, it is not well. There are random moments of grief that interrupt our wellness. There are nightmares. There are longings. There are memories. It is not well Thank you for your attention to this matter,” he wrote.
Maureen’s death and final farewell
Maureen passed away on September 7, following a prolonged battle with cancer. She was the mother of the couple’s four sons: Alubala, Anyanje, Yimbo and Junior. In line with her wishes, a funeral service was held at All Saints Cathedral in Nairobi before she was cremated at Kariokor Crematorium on September 17.
The family’s grief had already played out in the public eye during the memorial service, when Lukoye’s third-born son Yimbo broke down while delivering his tribute. Both his father and brother stepped in to support him as he struggled through the emotional moment.
Kenyans rally behind the professor
The post resonated deeply online, drawing more than 700 reactions and close to 200 comments. One user, Kipkosgei Kattam, offered a simple but firm message of encouragement: “Keep pushing, Prof.”
Lukoye is the eldest son of COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli and has built a respected career as one of Kenya’s foremost psychiatrists and academics.
His openness about grief, coming from a man who works in the mental health space, has struck a chord with many Kenyans who have continued sending messages of strength to the family and urging him to take the journey one day at a time.
