OBITUARIES

SHARIFF NASSIR ABDALLAH TAIB
Patriot who served communitywith humility and dedication

Coastweek - Thousands of mourners attended the burial of the longest serving Member of Parliament from Coast Province, Sheriff Nassir Abdallah Taib, held at Sarigoi Muslim cemetery last Sunday.
Kanu Majengo sub-branch vice-chairman, Ibrahim Khamis Zito said Nassir's burial was attended by a record of mourners."All in my life, I have never seen so many people having attended the burial the way they came out to bury our hero," added Zito.

Mr Nassir who served as Mvita MP for 24 years, passed away in the morning hours on Sunday, November 27 when he was rushed to Mombasa Hospital. He collapsed at his Ganjoni house at around 6.15 a.m. and was rushed to Mombasa Hospital where the doctor pronounced him dead on arrival. Nassir's body was taken to his Majengo family house where relatives, friends and politicians flocked and paid their last respect.Emotions ran high as mourners cried loudly and uncontrollably with others reciting verses from the Quran and offering prayers. Last prayers for the late Nassir were held at Mussa Mosque before the biggest procession headed to the Sarigoi Muslim cemetery where he was buried.

Among the prominent politicians who attended the burial were the leaders of the official opposition party, Uhuru Kenyatta, Mombasa Mayor Taib Ali Taib and former ministers, Raila Odinga, Najib Balala and Morris Dzoro.Others included MPs, Ramadhan Seif Kajembe, William Ruto, Ali Wario, Gideon Moi, Abu Chiaba and Fahim Twaha. Former MPs, Rashid Sajjad, Mohamed Hashim, Mohamed Jahazi, Chibule wa Tsuma and former Malindi Mayor Gideon Mungaro, were also present.In his message of condolences, President Mwai Kibaki described the late Mr Nassir as a patriot who served the Kenyan community with humility and dedication.
Former President Daniel arap Moi who was Mr Nassir's personal friend, said the deceased would be remembered for his astuteness in mobilizing the masses for any cause he believed in.Vice-President Moody Awori said the death has robbed Kenyans of a great person who had interests of his people at heart.

The VP described the former Minister of State as a good Kenyan who played a major role in improving the living standards of his people. He said he had known Mr Nassir for over 20 years as a principled politician. Kanu national chairman Uhuru Kenyatta said the late Nassir was like his father adding that the death has robbed the country of a principled, staunch and unwavering member of opposition party, Kanu.Other messages of condolences came from former Saudi Arabian Ambassador, HE Said Hemed Said, Mr Jahazi, former Mombasa Mayor Rajab Sumba and Kanu executive officer, Julius Sunkuli. Kanu Mvita branch executive committee led by its vice-chairman Mohamed Said Abdalla felt the branch has lost a leader whose leadership qualities cannot be matched and that he has left a gap which would be difficult to be filled.The branch will hold special prayers (Khitma) for the late Mr Nassir at Kanu headquarters in Majengo tomorrow (Saturday) from 4.30 p.m.

Mr Nassir was born in 1926 in Lamu and was educated at Serani primary School (formerly known as Arab Boys School) and Shimo la Tewa Secondary School where he took junior and senior Cambridge examinations. He joined politics before independence where he was one of the top Coast Peoples Party (CPP) leaders.
After independence, Mr Nassir joined Kenya African Democratic Union (KADU) whose leader was former Cabinet Minister in Mzee Jomo Kenyatta's regime, the late Mr Ronald G Ngala.When KADU was disbanded, Mr Ngala and Mr Nassir joined the Kenya African National Union (KANU), former being the chairman of the Mombasa branch with the later as vice-chairman.Mr Nassir was a Councillor representing Makadara ward before he was elected the Mombasa Central (now Mvita) Member of Parliament when he defeated Mr Jahazi during the 1974 general elections.He continued to be the area MP until the 2002 general elections when he lost the seat he occupied for 24 years to the current MP Mr Najib Balala. When Mr Ngala died in 1972, Mr Nassir took over the branch leadership.

He later became the Mvita branch chairman till his death.Special prayers have been held at Khonzi, Nuurein (TSS), Sheikh Jundani and Noor Mosques.Mr Swaleh Abdallah Taib, a younger brother of the late Nassir, thanked all those who participated in one way or another in the funeral arrangements.
"Our family is happy that the funeral of our beloved family member was attended by a record crowd which is a testimony that he was a good man," said Taib on behalf of Mr Nassir's family.May the Almighty Allah rest his soul in eternal peace, Amin.
- Abdulrahman Sheriff, Mombasa.

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PROF. JUMA LUGOGO
Coast Development Authority chairman

Coastweek - Professor Juma Lugogo, the chairman of the Coast Development Authority (CDA) passed away at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi last Saturday after a long illness.Hundreds of mourners attended the burial of the late 64-year-old Professor Lugogo at his Nyali residence in Mombasa last Sunday after the last prayers were held at the Marembo Mosque.

He held the post of the Managing Director of CDA since its formation in 1992. Prof Lugogo was also the chairman of the Board of Governors of Sheikh Khalifa Secondary and Technical School, chairman of Shanzu Teachers Training College and the chairman of Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services (KEPHIS). He also was the vice chairman of Nairobi University Council and the Coast's co-ordinator of Islamic University Project.Hon. Sheriff Nassir, a member of the Board of Trustees of Sheikh Khalifa Secondary and Technical School described the late Prof Lugogo as a dedicated and hard-working leader."The gap Prof. Lugogo left will be difficult to fill," said Mr Nassir while sending condolence messages to the bereaved family. Prof. Lugogo left a widow, three children and four grand children.Abdulrahmen Sheriff, Mombasa.An educationist of national reputation

Coastweek - - Prof. Juma Lugogo was an educationist of national reputation. Despite holding high responsibilities of serving Kenyans, and particularly Coast communities, He was always an affable man and helped many people whenever he could.He was founding managing director of Coast Development Authority up to his last breath.He was the dedicated chairman of two well-known educational institutions - Shanzu Teachers' College and Sheikh Khalifa Bin Sheikh Zayed Al-Nahani Secondary and Technical School - to which he and devoted his life. Ambassador Said Hemed, paying tribute to his highly respected colleague at the Board of governors of the Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Secondary and Technical School:"Prof. Juma Lugogo was a thorough gentleman, a good and helpful friend. "He was popular to both the administration cadre and the students. "He tried his at most to have a university established at the Coast." His funeral was attended by several hundreds who came from various parts of Kenya, particularly from the Coast to pay their last respect and pray for his soul to rest in Paradise.-
Faraj Dumila, Mombasa.

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PROFESSOR KATAMA MKANGI
Prof Mkangi killed in ugly road crash

By Patrick Beja
THE EAST AFRICAN STANDARD
Sunday, March 7, 2004
Leading Coast scholar and reformist Prof Katama Mkangi died in a ghastly road accident near Voi on Friday afternoon. Prof Mkangi, 60, was alone in the car. Voi deputy police chief, Mrs Flora Tsonzaka, said the tragic crash occurred at 1.30 pm at Ikanga, nine kilometres from Voi town, as the don drove from Nairobi to Mombasa. Last week, a University of Nairobi lecturer Prof Jasper Munyoki Mumo died at Ndii near Voi in another road accident. Prof Mumo and his wife were driving from Mombasa towards Nairobi when they crashed. His wife was critically injured.

Prof Mkangi was driving a Toyota car, registration KAM 047 B, when he hit an oncoming Isuzu car, which had foreign registration numbers, police said. His body was removed from the mangled wreckage and taken to Voi Hospital mortuary.

Tsonzaka said police recovered Prof Mkangi’s national identification card and other papers although they could not tell who he was from the physical appearance because I they could not recognize him". The other lone driver was left unconscious and police could not immediately establish his identity. He was also taken to Voi hospital. Prof Mkangi was a long time critic of the former regime of retired President Moi and was among those who consistently fought for democracy in the country. After his detention in the 1980s, Mkangi was unemployed for long. He could not be re-admitted back to the university until last year. He later taught at United States International University-Nairobi.

"He had a vision but people didn’t listen to him seriously," said Prof. Kivutha Kibwana. The sociology lecturer contested for the Presidency and the Kaloleni parliamentary seat in the 1997 General Election but lost on the Kenya National Congress ticket. He was also a prolific writer and media commentator on political and social issues.
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Leaders pay tribute to Prof. Mkangi

NATION Correspondent
& Presidential Press Service,PPS
Publication Date: 03/08/2004
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Leaders yesterday paid glowing tribute to Prof Katama Mkangi who died in a road accident on Saturday.In his message of condolence, President Kibaki described Prof Mkangi as one of the pioneers of pluralism in the country."Prof Mkangi and other forces articulated well the wishes of the silent majority and their efforts eventually resulted into multi-party politics in the country," the President said.

He said Prof Mkangi's resolve so strong that even a two-year detention could not break his spirit and determination to contribute to the creation of more democratic space in Kenya.As a scholar, President Kibaki said Prof Mkangi will be remembered for his exemplary literary work and a distinguished career in the academia that spanned several decades.

The President assured the bereaved family that he shared their grief at this difficult time of mourning. The casket carrying the body of Prof Mkangi arrived at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport yesterday and was later escorted to the Lee Funeral Home by Health minister Charity Ngilu, the Director of Medical Services, Dr James Nyikal and relatives of the deceased. Mrs Ngilu described Prof Mkangi as a hard-working, dedicated and patriotic person. She said the country has lost a great person who sacrificed to fight for democracy.The minister said the death of Prof Mkangi came at a time when the country needed him the most.

Prof Mkangi was travelling alone to Mombasa when his car was involved in a collision with a truck on the Nairobi-Mombasa highway just five kilometres from the Coastal city.The don died near where another university lecturer, Prof Justus Musyoki Mumo of the University of Nairobi was killed in yet another road accident on Monday. Prof Mkangi died at the age of 60. Until the time of his demise, he was the chairman of the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) board of directors. He was also a sociology professor at the United States International University (USIU) in Nairobi.

In the 1997 General Election, Prof Mkangi had vied for the presidency on a Kenya National Congress party ticket. He is survived by his widow and two children - a 12-year-old boy and 10-year-old girl. There was a sombre mood at the airport when the casket bearing the body arrived. Relatives wailed as it was laid into a waiting ambulance. And at exactly 3 pm, the convoy of mourners arrived at the funeral home and the body was taken into the mortuary. Only then were his widow and relatives allowed to view it.

Earlier in Mombasa, former Cabinet minister Sharrif Nassir yesterday described the death of Prof Mkangi as a great loss to the people of Coast Province.

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TRIBUTE TO PROF. KATAMA MKANGI

By Prof. Edward Oyugi

It is in the tragic nature of visionaries and tireless advocates for democracy that they hardly live long enough to see their sacrifices yield benefits to society. In the majority of cases they are vilified, tortured and ostracized by the incumbent power mongers when they challenge and refuse to buckle under the authoritarian norms sustaining the status quo; and wished away by those who sneak into the frontline of popular democratic struggles and occupy powerful positions when only a modicum of change appears in the horizon.

Instead of being invited to help consolidate the meagre democratic gains so far made in the struggle for democratic renewal of a society they are branded wasiotosheka or perpetual renegades. Nyayo house is where they belong, preferably for KANU and most probable under a mature NARC. Prof. MkangiÂ’s precious life has been a victim of the whole gamut of this typically Kenyan syndrome.He raised his voice above many other feeble ones when it was a treasonable crime to merely talk about democracy, leave alone challenge Moi and KenyattaÂ’s dictatorship.

He taught young Kenyans the virtue of simple life gender-sensitivity when it was fashionable to wallow in democratic rhetoric and when it was considered sissy or male chauvinistic to fight for real and not cosmetic equity between men and women. He fought for de-concentration of public authority from Nairobi when residual disdain for majimboism was being used to obscure and scare away any democratic clamour for the devolution of governance down to the sovereign interests of the many Kenyan nationalities from Kuria to the Pokomo people. His humility was more like a needle wrapped in cotton wool than a fake coin meant for buying favours. He was near-violently disdainful of big tribe chauvinism and was full of hatred for being expected to play by the rules of the weak. He loved soccer and used it to build bridges between different social strata.

He was at peace with inter-generational differences around him. He was warm in heart and kind in temperament. As an academic he turned outstanding scholarship into progressive activism. He was lofty in his ambitions but never needed to go further a field to seek lasting friendships. If he appeared to be a free radical in the way he related to different sections of our society it was because of his restlessness in a determined search for a democratic course to champion.

That is why today he would be in Marurui slums distributing second hand clothes and the following day he would be in Muranga, not consoling the poor among his audience but emboldening them to remove their chains and engage those exploiting them in a class struggle and not antagonize their counterparts in Ribe and Muhuru Bay.Prof. Katama Mkangi's life has been a colourful story of selfless and boundless empathy with the wretched of the earth. His democratic spirit will not only remain behind to inspire many future generations just as it will haunt Kenyans who pretended to share a democratic vision with him but who brazenly do the opposite of what he was ready to die for.

The only fitting tribute we ought to pay to the fallen patriot is to continue from where nature prematurely reclaimed his body and afford his democratic spirit new legs on which to run to the cherished dispensation. It surely will be long before KatamaÂ’s spirit comes face to face with the real Kenya he dreamed of in the flooded dungeons of Nyayo house. It surely will happen. But only if the struggle continues. And indeed it must continue.

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