Former Cabinet Secretary and Ambassador Amina Mohamed has shared a deeply personal tribute to her late husband, Khalid Ahmed, describing him as her soulmate and reflecting on the enduring love, grief and memories that have shaped her life five years after his death.

In a memorial message titled "A soulmate Khalid, Five Years," Amina opened up about the pain of learning to live without the man she said made every day brighter with his presence, kindness and unwavering love.

Although five years have passed since Khalid's death, Amina said the passage of time has not diminished her love or the sense of loss she continues to carry.

"It seems impossible that I have learned to count time without you. Some days it feels as though you have only just stepped out of the room and will be back any minute, wearing that familiar smile, asking about everyone's day, making each of us feel as though nothing in the world mattered more than being together,” she said.

"And then reality returns. Five years have passed since I last held your hand, heard your voice, or laughed with you. Yet there has not been a single day when I have not spoken to you in my heart.”

She described Khalid as a man whose quiet presence made every burden lighter and whose unconditional love gave her confidence and comfort throughout their life together.

"People often ask what I miss most. It is impossible to answer, because I miss everything," she wrote.

Amina said Khalid had an extraordinary ability to make everyone around him feel valued, whether family, friends, colleagues or strangers.

"You made every person feel important. Family, friends, colleagues, neighbours, even strangers who met you only once they all walked away believing they mattered," she said.

Amina said that Khalid listened with genuine interest, remembered the little things and celebrated the successes of others without envy.

She also remembered his infectious laughter, saying it brought warmth wherever he went and remains one of the first things people recall when speaking about him.

"It wasn't just a laugh; it was an embrace. It filled every room before anyone noticed. It invited everyone in. It made children laugh harder, adults forget their worries, and strangers become friends," she wrote.

Reflecting on their children, Amina said they continue to carry their father's values through their kindness, fairness and compassion for others.

The former Cabinet Secretary admitted that she still finds herself wanting to share stories with her late husband and imagining the advice or humour he would have offered.

Amina also reflected on the nature of grief, saying it does not disappear with time.

"I still catch myself saving stories for you. I still imagine what you would say, the advice you would give, the joke you would make to stop me taking life too seriously," she said.

"People say grief becomes smaller. I don't think that's true. I think life simply grows around it," she wrote, adding that the love she has for Khalid "has become quieter, deeper, and somehow even more certain."

Amina thanked Khalid for the love he gave their family and the example he set for their children, adding that although Khalid left the world too soon, his legacy continues to live on through the many lives he touched.

"There is an old belief that we die twice: once when our body leaves this earth, and again when our name is spoken for the last time. If that is true, then you will never truly die. You are spoken of too often, remembered too fondly, loved too deeply."

"You were our greatest blessing. You still are. You are loved. You are missed. You are thanked. Every day."

Khalid died in July 2021 in Nairobi after a short illness.