Lamu. KENYA: Lovers of the Kiswahili language and poetry are mourning all over the world following the demise of famous Swahili scholar, author and poet Professor Ahmed Sheikh Nabhany of Lamu.
Nabhany passed away early Thursday morning at his home in Matondoni village of Lamu county aged 90.
Family members who spoke to Baraka FM said the renowned Kiswahili guru succumbed to stroke related complications at around 7am in the morning.
He is said to have suffered a stroke one week ago according to one of his relatives Athman Ahmed.
“We lost him very early today at around 7am this morning. He will be buried at the Matondoni cemetery at around 5pm today Thursday,”said Ahmed.
Nabhany leaves behind a widow,three children and several grand children.
Meanwhile,condolences have been pouring in from all those who knew Nabhany either as a poet and Swahili author or just as native son of the Bajuni community.
While speaking to Baraka FM on Thursday,renowned Swahili author Wallah Bin Wallah termed Nabhany’s death as a blow to the entire Kiswahili fraternity.
Wallah has sent his condolences to the family and friends of the late and that his prayers are with them at this trying moment.
“When a tooth is pulled out there definitely will be a permanent gap and that’s what Nabhany’s death has done to us.He was a great player in the shaping of the Swahili language. We pray that the family has the strength to go through this,”csaid Wallah.
Another poet Muchai Bin Chui termed Nabhany’s death as a dark spot in the lives of all Swahili language and poet lovers.
Muchai said the death comes at a time when the fraternity is mourning yet the demise of Swahili poets and and renowned authors Hassan Mwalimu and Khamis Chombo.
Nabhany was born on November 2,1927 in Mombasa Kenya.
Among his major contributions to the Kiswahili language was in the year 1967 when he took part in the in the collection and recording of Swahili and Arabic Manuscripts for University of Dar-Es-Salaam.
He has also worked with Prof. Dammann in Hamburg University, Germany in translating Swahili Arabic manuscripts to Roman scripts among many other works.
His death comes barely a month after a group of Kiswahili authors and poets visited him at his home and gifted him among the Wallah Bin Wallah,Clara Momanyi,Prof.Raya Timamy,Hezekiel Gikambi,Alamin Somo among others.
