A somber mood has engulfed the Mombasa media fraternity following the sudden demise of one of their colleague, Fatma Rajab.

Family members confirmed that Fatma had breathed her last on Saturday morning, after she was rushed to the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital Intensive care Unit on Thursday.

Colleagues, family and friends gathered at the hospital on Saturday afternoon to escort the body of late Fatma Rajab to her family residence at Kashani in Kiembeni.

The body will stay at the residence, where it will be prayed for till Sunday around 11am, from where it will be taken for final prayers at Mkomani before burial at the same place at 1pm.

On Sunday, the funeral prayers will be after dhuhr (1pm) at Masjid Fat'h in Mkomani.

Mombasa governor Abdulswamad Nassir and the Chief Executive Officer CGTRH Dr. Khandawalla waived off the hospital bill for the family.

Earlier on Friday, Fatma’s family had appealed for help to raise Sh1.8 million to assist her go for a heart surgery.

The 26-year-old journalist was diagnosed with Degenerative Boprosthetic Mitral Valve with Severe mitral Stenosis Mild Mitral Regurgitation condition back in 2014.

This forced her family to take her to India to undergo a surgery to rectify the problem.

She underwent a valve replacement operation that helped her for the last nine years.

Fatma had a prosthetic valve fixed in her heart, but the valve had degenerated over time and could no longer function and therefore required to be replaced immediately.

Unfortunately she passed away before the procedure could be carried on.

Colleagues and friends have paid tribute to the late Fatma describing her as a young and dedicated journalist who the media was yet to realize her full potential.

Kenya Correspondents Association (KCA) coast chapter in a press release condoled with the family and the media fraternity in Mombasa.

"The Kenya Correspondents Association (KCA) coast chapter has learnt with a lot of sadness the passing on of a Mombasa based journalist Fatma Rajab,”

"Her charisma and diligence in executing her duties will sure be missed by many in Mombasa,” read a statement by KCA coast chapter chairman Omar Abdalla.

Abdalla also thanked the media in Mombasa for coming together to highlight her plight as she appealed for assistance to raise funds for her much needed heart surgery.

"We extend our sincere condolences to her family and friends and the entire media fraternity in Mombasa and the region at large.Surely to Allah we belong, and to Allah we shall return. May Allah grant her Janatul Firdaus,” Abdalla said.

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