The third anniversary of the death of Ken Walibora, a celebrated Swahili author, linguist, and journalist, was commemorated by his family in a touching tribute. Walibora was reported missing on April 10, 2020, and was believed to have been hit by a matatu while crossing Landhies Road in Nairobi.
His body was later discovered at the Kenyatta National Hospital mortuary on April 15, 2020. In a tribute published in the Daily Nation newspaper on April 4, 2022, Walibora’s family expressed their continued desire for justice to prevail, while cherishing the memories of their beloved father, husband, and friend. They remembered his humility, his unique sense of humor, his charm, and his indomitable faith.
The mystery surrounding Walibora’s death deepened after post-mortem results revealed that he had a deep cut between his thumb and index finger that was not caused by the motor vehicle accident. He had also lost two teeth and had a blood clot in his head.
The circumstances surrounding his death took place on April 10, 2020, at around 9:30 a.m. when an ambulance was called but failed to take him to the hospital upon arrival. A Nairobi County government ambulance later rushed him to Kenyatta National Hospital, where he remained unattended from 10:30 a.m. until he passed away at around midnight. Walibora’s vehicle was discovered along Kijabe Street, about 30 minutes away from Landhies Road.
Walibora was a prolific author, with 40 book titles to his name, and he was best known for his debut novel Siku Njema read online. Until January 2017, he served as the Kiswahili quality manager at the Nation Media Group.
His other notable works include Ndoto ya Amerika (2003), Kisasi Hapana (2009), and Nasikia Sauti ya Mama (2015); all of which won the Jomo Kenyatta Literary Prize. His novel, Kidagaa Kimemwozea, was used as a set text in Kenyan high schools for several years. On Saturday, Walibora’s family held a memorial service at his rural home in Bonde, Trans Nzoia County.
