East Africa's Global Lives

Abdou Bakari Boina
Abdou Bakari Boina (1937-2018)

Secretary-General of the Mouvement de Libération Nationale des Comores

Anthony Okech (copyright Okech, source: Academia.edu)
Anthony Okech (1943-)

Serving Adult Learners in a long career at Makerere

Argwings Kodhek (Kenya National Archives)
Argwings Kodhek (1923-69)

The 'Mau Mau lawyer' and Luo politician with a debated reputation for the defence of human rights.

Arthur Aggrey Ochwada (Nation)
Arthur Aggrey Ochwada (1926-2013)

Pioneering trade unionist, founder of the Trade Union Congress of Kenya, and frequent rival of Tom Mboya

Barbara Kimenye (Daily Monitor)
Barbara Kimenye (1929-2012)

One of East Africa's most prolific children's writers

Binyavanga Wainaina (CC BY 2.0)
Binyavanga Wainaina (1971-2019)

Writer, journalist, publisher, literary activist and gay rights activist

Machyo (right) in London (courtesy of Peter Obanda Wanyama)
Boloki Chango Machyo W’Obanda (1927-2013)

A Ugandan public intellectual, between East African pan-Africanism and local politics

Daniel Owino Misiani
Daniel Owino Misiani (1940-2006)

The father of Benga music, taking multilingual lyrics to a global audience

Hilary Ng'weno
Hilary Boniface Ng'weno (1938-2021)

The first Kenyan editor-in-chief of the Nation newspaper group

Seroney (Nation Media)
Jean-Marie Seroney (1927-82)

An outspoken laywer, trade unionist, and prisoner of conscience

John Babiiha (Creative Commons)
John Kabwimukya Babiiha (1913-82)

A national leader and veterinary scientist from Tooro

Bikobbo c. 1969
Joseph Robert ‘Sepp Meier’ Bikobbo Mugayo (c.1942-76)

Ugandan intellectual and political advisor

Julia Auma Ojiambo (Standard Media)
Julia Auma Ojiambo (1936-)

Former parliamentarian and crusader for Affirmative Action

Margaret Kenyatta as Mayor of Nairobi
Margaret Kenyatta (1928-2017)

Nairobi City Mayor and KANU women's wing leader

Nuruddin Farah
Nuruddin Farah (1945-)

Somali novelist writing - often from exile - on dictatorship, feminism and the fragmented individual

Pio Gama Pinto
Pio Gama Pinto (1927-65)

'Global patriot' and founder of Pan African Press Ltd

Neogy on the cover of Transition no. 69
Rajat Neogy (1938-95)

Founder of Transition, the most daring and important literary and political journal of Africa’s 1960s.

Rose Kirumira (Start Journal SJ)
Rose Nimubiru Kirumira (1962-)

Contemporary Ugandan sculptor, marrying together local and foreign sources of inspiration

Maathai in 2001
Wangari Maathai (1940-2011)

Global fame, national battles, and an ambivalent legacy