Rhoda ‘Apeke’ Odhiambo

Presenter, corr - Focus on Africa @BBCAfrica | Fmr Africa Health Correspondent | EX @DW radio correspondent | HeinzKühn Stiftung fellow 2017 | @ITM fellow 2019

[Anne Soy @annesoy]

Good morning! Wakenya, hata kama Ebola imefika huku, tusiogope kwenda kazini. Mimi nishaanza kazi. Tufuate maagizo ya afya kuzuia maambukizi. Usiguze macho, mdomo ama kidonda kabla ya kunawa mikono. Ukipata dalili za Ebola, fika hospitalini mara moja.

[Waihiga Mwaura @WaihigaMwaura]

How did a Kenyan national pass through several border points from DRC, through Uganda to Nairobi without the Ebola infection being detected? #FocusOnAfrica @BBCAfrica
Producer: @OdhiamboRhoda

[Rhoda ‘Apeke’ Odhiambo @OdhiamboRhoda]

Oh @kamz26 this funny . But true. Never understood Chai Tea :(

[Kᗩᗰᗩᒪ Kᗩᑌᖇ 🪷 @kamz26]

People who say Naan Bread are the same sad people who say Chai Tea.
And ATM Machine.
And Old Mzee....
Can you add to these?
😆

[Rhoda ‘Apeke’ Odhiambo @OdhiamboRhoda]

Wait! I was today years old when I learnt that mirrors are expensive in #Kenya. 🤔

[Dingindaba Jonah Buyoya @BuyoyaJonah]

On BBC Focus on Africa today, we featured Zambia’s Attorney General Mulilo Kabesha with regards the latest judgment by South African courts on the burial of former President Edgar Lungu.

[Waihiga Mwaura @WaihigaMwaura]

This week #FocusOnAfrica interviews were picked up on #BusinessInsiderAfrica & #DailyMonitor cc: @OdhiamboRhoda @JewelKiriungi @albertkirui @GodwinAsediba @Priya_Nicole @MaryamDodo #EbolaWatch

[Rhoda ‘Apeke’ Odhiambo @OdhiamboRhoda]

Now you see why we always pray for you on Fridays 🙏🏾

[Dingindaba Jonah Buyoya @BuyoyaJonah]

Now, lemme tell you how I became a foster parent to FOUR children this past weekend 😭.

Thursday night, I was chilling in my apartment. Decided to order some food. About 20 minutes later, I hear the doorbell ring, I’m like oh? My food is here!!

I head to the door and no, it’s not my food. It’s four children, all siblings. I’m like, okay?👀

Oldest one is 19. There’s also a boy who is 17; another 13 year old boy and a 10 year old girl.

The 17 year old asks to use my WiFi for them to order an Uber. Weird, but I’m like okay cool. I connect them to my WiFi at the door. They’re not ordering an Uber and the 17 year old starts dropping tears.💀💀

In no time, these ohns are all crying. What’s the problem, children? The girl asks if they can come inside my house. Wueh!😭 Come inside my house??? Why?? Am I getting robbed?🤣

Ati their dad is crazy, abusive and currently chasing after them. Mmmh, now he must chase after me too??😭

But I’m like okay, come in and let’s call the police.

Their story is straight out of a movie and a very sad one even.

Their parents are divorced. Father got custody, moved them from Australia to live with his new wife (who he doesn’t even live with; he’s back in Australia). Their mum is still in Australia. She arranged with a relative to smuggle the kids out of her ex husband’s custody, then flew down herself. Her plan was to take them back to Australia without their dad’s consent.

But he had confiscated the passports of the 10, 13 and 17 year olds. So they’re stuck here. Mum can’t renew the passports here because the kids have no connection to this country, and the Australian Embassy said they can only renew lost passports unless there’s consent or a court order from the father.

The kids had been staying in an AirBnB. Their mum left them there a few weeks ago to go back to Australia for work. Then their dad found out where they were, flew here, and started banging on doors looking for them. The kids got scared and ran to my house.

I called the police. The 17 year old boy was sobbing the whole time. It was heartbreaking. The kids were convinced the police would just hand them over to their dad.

We spent over 5 hours dealing with this thing, explaining the situation to the police, talking to both parents on Zoom, and eventually getting a magistrate on a call at around 2am😂. I wondered what would happen in Zed💀.

The magistrate ordered the children be placed in temporary foster care until Monday’s hearing. Since I’m an adult and they were already in my house, they were put under my temporary care for the night. A restraining order was also issued. Neither parent is allowed access until the court hearing on Monday.

By 4am the kids were finally taken back to the AirBnB (under police arrangement).

Both parents are a mess😭. The kids are just caught in the middle. I honestly felt so bad for them.

[Rhoda ‘Apeke’ Odhiambo @OdhiamboRhoda]

Dear KDN533D,

Careful how you drive in the streets of Nairobi.

Haraka haraka haina baraka 🙏🏾

[Essie @EcEssie]

Life has never been the same since you left us😭

[Rhoda @Symply_rhoda1]

As kids, this is exactly what we were taught — glad he came back for his brother 😂😂

[Rhoda ‘Apeke’ Odhiambo @OdhiamboRhoda]

Heavy rains and flooding kills at least 23 in #Nairobi

https://t.co/k9BPmKNwZs

[Rhoda ‘Apeke’ Odhiambo @OdhiamboRhoda]

#Zimbabwe rejects 'lopsided' US health aid deal over data concerns by @shingainyoka @BBCAfrica https://t.co/9aZsG91miw

[Rhoda ‘Apeke’ Odhiambo @OdhiamboRhoda]

I plead the fifth 😂😂

[Dingindaba Jonah Buyoya @BuyoyaJonah]

Guys, I need your help. On Fridays, when leaving work, my workmates tell each other to have a "good weekend." Explain to me why for me specifically, they say I should have a "SAFE" weekend.😂😭😭 SAFE??? WHY SAFE??? And why is this unique to me?? Elo I'm the most quiet person.

[Rhoda ‘Apeke’ Odhiambo @OdhiamboRhoda]

Planned US-funded baby vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau blasted by WHO

https://t.co/COptSiI0bP

[Rhoda ‘Apeke’ Odhiambo @OdhiamboRhoda]

😂😂😂😂

[Science girl @sciencegirl]

“Why are you taking so long in the shower”

Me:

[Rhoda ‘Apeke’ Odhiambo @OdhiamboRhoda]

It’s #Fugu day in #Ghana.

Ghana declares Wednesday 'Fugu Day' to promote traditional outfit after online mockery. @BBCAfrica @WycliffeMuia

https://t.co/kJOzg0f9wC

[Rhoda ‘Apeke’ Odhiambo @OdhiamboRhoda]

Thank you @somalispy. 🙏🏾 Hope you’re well. Have a good day.

[D Y @somalispy]

@OdhiamboRhoda @BBCAfrica best News presenter! No doubt!

[Rhoda ‘Apeke’ Odhiambo @OdhiamboRhoda]

Hey @nosmotG please follow back for a DM. thanks

[Rhoda ‘Apeke’ Odhiambo @OdhiamboRhoda]

Banknote bouquets could land you in jail, Kenya's central bank warns @BBCAfrica
https://t.co/v8hulfQgBS

[Rhoda ‘Apeke’ Odhiambo @OdhiamboRhoda]

Why has Donald #Trump attacked #Venezuela and taken Maduro? - BBC News https://t.co/NpYyeDW4BK