The late Professor Kofi Nyidevu Awoonor, continues to be eulogised after he lost his life in the dastardly Westgate Mall bombing in Kenya in the hands of the murderous religious extremist, Al Shabab, on September 21, 2013.
The latest great voice that eulogised Prof. Awoonor, is the voice of the Kenyan Literary luminary, Ngugu wa Thiong’o.
He saw the poetic side of Prof. Awoonor’s death by relating the tragedy to the bond of friendship between Ghana’s first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and Kenya’s first president, Jomo Kenyatta.
“It is so sad that he had to die such a tragic death in my home country. His blood came alive in Ghana, and his blood went away in Kenya; I am sure Kofi’s death has sealed the blood relationship between Kenya and Ghana,” Ngugi, poetically said.
He visited the North Legon home of Prof. Awoonor on Wednesday, October 23, 2013, to mourn with the family of the ex-Chairman of the Council of State, and also to sign the Book of Condolence.
Ngugi referred to Prof. Awoonor as a true African, who inspired generations of African intellectuals with his deep understanding of the “African Personality”.
Expressing his deep feeling of personal loss at the passing away of Prof. Awoonor, Ngugi recalled their first encounter in the mid 60’s, and how that meeting sowed a seed of comradeship.
Ngugi praised Kofi Awoonor for staying glued to the vision of Nkrumah and keeping the African hope alive throughout his life.
“Kofi was a great inspirer, whose closeness to Nkrumah gave us the momentum to put African literature and African poetry on the front burner of world learning”, Ngugi said.
“Kofi was against imperialism; and so was I; we were real comrades who believed that the Continent needed to be liberated,” Ngugi said with a lot of nostalgic feeling
“The bond between Kenya and Ghana began with the closeness between Nkrumah and Kenyatta; my meeting with Kofi gave more meaning to the bond between our two countries”, said with a lot of emotions.
“It is so sad that he had to die such a tragic death in my home country. His blood came alive in Ghana, and his blood went away in Kenya; I am sure Kofi’s death has sealed the blood relationship between Kenya and Ghana” Ngugi, poetically said.
Ngugi, condemned the dastardly act by the Al Shabab murderers and said it is a shame that such a thing happened in his homeland, Kenya.
He asked the family to take consolation in the fact that Prof. Kofi Awoonor passed-on on the International Stage, and would forever remain etched on the mind of Africa as a true son of the soil.
“His body is gone back to the earth where we shall all go one day, but I know his soul is alive and will continue to keep the African dream alive. We must not give up because of a few murderous cowards; we must continue to keep hope alive”, Ngugi added.
Present was Mr. Koku Anyidoho, ex-Director of Communications in the Office of President.
