A poignant WhatsApp exchange has surfaced showing the last conversation between veteran Coast radio presenter Gladys Kadzo Ziro and a close friend, hours before her death on Saturday, August 29, 2026.
Samuel Masha shared screenshots of the chat on Facebook the same day, revealing a warm but brief exchange between the two.
In the conversation, Gladys assured Masha she was doing fine and hinted at plans to visit him soon.
“Niko Poa kakangu, hope upande wako unaendelea vizuri pia,” she wrote, closing with a prayer for his continued protection.
Masha responded with a simple “Amen,” in what turned out to be among their final words to one another.
Following her death, a shaken Masha penned an emotional tribute on Facebook.
“Rest in peace, Gladys Kadzo. Uliniambia uko poa, utakuja kunitembelea, kumbe utatuacha, dadangu. Nashindwa kuamini kabisa yani,” he wrote.
Gladys, a Kilifi County native, had battled lupus, a chronic autoimmune condition, for several years.
Her health deteriorated sharply on Friday, August 28, when she developed severe vomiting and extreme weakness. She died the following day.
The broadcaster had quietly withdrawn from active radio work roughly two years earlier as her illness worsened.
Many listeners and even some colleagues were unaware of how serious her condition had become, making news of her death especially shocking to those who followed her career.
Gladys spent much of her broadcasting life at Bahari FM, a Royal Media Services station, where she earned a loyal following across the Coast region for her warm on-air presence.
Tributes have poured in from colleagues, including broadcaster Stephen Mukangai, alongside an outpouring of grief from listeners online. Her family is currently making funeral and burial arrangements.