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Ali Mazrui

NAIROBI — Celebrated Kenyan scholar Professor Ali Mazrui, who died in the United States yesterday morning, will be buried this Saturday at his family’s graveyard in Fort Jesus, Mombasa. He was 81. Family spokesman Hammad Kassim Mazrui said they are making preparations to have the body flown from the US to Kenya for the burial in accordance with Islamic tradition.

“Professor Mazrui has himself said that he wants to be buried here in Mombasa. Right now communications are underway to ensure that he is brought back here in a timely manner.
“However, as you know, America is far and tomorrow (today) is a public holiday there so the arrangements will start on Wednesday (tomorrow) so that he can be brought back as soon as possible,” he said.

He termed the scholar’s death as a blow, not only to the family but the entire world.
“He was a person who was well-read in various fields and this is a big blow not only to us Kenyans, but to the world as a whole since he was many times required to give speeches in various forums and this will be missed by everyone,” he stated.

Mazrui, who was born in Mombasa in 1933, is survived by two wives who are British and Nigerian nationals, respectively and five children.
The scholar was an Albert Schweitzer Professor in the Humanities and the Director of the Institute of Global Cultural Studies at Binghamton University in Binghamton, New York.
He was the first non-president chancellor of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture Technology under the leadership of former president Mwai Kibaki.

President Uhuru Kenyatta in the meantime paid tribute to the fallen scholar, describing him as a towering academician whose intellectual contributions played a major role in shaping African scholarship.

Kenyatta pointed out that Mazrui was one of the greatest scholars Kenya and the continent have ever produced and that his death has robbed the country of one of the greatest writers.
He stated that Mazrui’s brilliance raised him to the apex of scholarly distinction and earned him the respect and following among his peers globally. — Capital FM/HR.