We lost Rasna Warah over the weekend.

She was one of the finest journalists and an even better writer from Kenya. And what a consistent show she put on.

She was incredibly intelligent, could turn a beautiful phrase, was wildly readable, and, most importantly, she had an opinion, an independent mind, and took the side of humanity. She was incorruptible, so much so that she gave up a big job at the UN and reported some of the bad stuff she witnessed while working there.

Growing up, one of the things I admired the most and wanted to be in life was a columnist—one who was taken seriously, one with a national following, and whose word was taken seriously. And I trained hard to become one.

After high school, I spent my days either at the Kenya National Library at the Community (I love the place), or at my older Wycliffe Onduso's place, just to access their stash of newspapers and I spent my days reading the columnist of the day. My favourite being Oyunga Pala, Wahome Mutahi (Whispers) Kwamchetsi Makokha, the Ugandan Simwogerere Kyazze, Onyango Obbo, Jaindi Kisero, Dominic Odipo, Gerry Loughran, Philip Ochieng' and a host of others.

We didn't always have female columnists. But the Nation had two of the finest in the 2000s, Betty Caplan(bless her soul) and Rasna Warah. Both are now departed.

In recent years, like myself, Rasna dedicated her days to opposing both the Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto regimes. She was part of the team of columnists who resigned from the Nation when cartoonist Gado was sacked for his caricatures against President Uhuru. Ruto is not the first to go harder after critics. Uhuru did worse, even killing mainstream media by withdrawing any government advertising. Some of you cheered this. We are now at a stage even kids can't express their displeasure online by drawing satirical cartoons of our leaders. It will get bad, before it gets worse, if Sudi's pronouncements are anything to go by. Sudi is the president's key strategist, advisor and co-owner of the government.

In losing Rasna, we have lost a useful voice in the opposition of this unrelenting regime, few people who I know had the cojones and willing to pay the ultimate price, for Kenya to be free.

She leaves us with a monumental battle ahead of us. The aim is to see KANU and all its surrogates disappear from our lives and consciousness, and birth a Kenya that is safe and prosperous for our children.

If you have never read her books, grab some from local bookshops, I think both Nuria-Your Store and Prestige have stocked them.

Happy week ahead lads, despite the gloomy news of Rasna's death and more abductions.