Chakava cherished village life, Maragoli culture

Family, friends, colleagues, and politicians bid farewell to Dr Henry Chakava, a renowned world-class publisher at his Vokoli home in Vihiga county on Saturday.

A section of the villagers interviewed described the celebrated publisher as a village boy who dared to dream while the elite eulogised him as a father of the Kenyan publishing industry, who presided over the new age of book publishing.

Chakava was born on April 26, 1946 in Vihiga, a county with scarce land dotted with rocks, may be a pointer to the storms he weathered while climbing the career ladder. 

Aggrey Luseno said the publisher latter loved and served his community diligently.

Luseno revealed that the publisher was a great champion of the Maragoli culture and the Lologooli language. He was the founding chairman of the Maragoli Cultural Society in 1979, a role he held for decades.  Chakava also championed the publication of many books in Lologooli language.

“He was a pioneer in the establishment of the Vihiga cultural festival aimed at bringing culture closer to the youth of Vihiga, we worked closely to make the cultural festival project successful and it remains one of the important occasions in Vihiga,” he said.

Luseno said Chakava has left a rich legacy for the community, complete with a book on the traditional culture of the Maragoli written in Lologooli, titled: Limenya liu Mulogooli.

Imbiinga ya Mulogooli (Maragoli community group) patron, Dr Edward Ambeva said Chakava never forgot where he came from despite receiving accolades nationally and internationally.

"He was one in a million, despite enjoying international recognition on top of the many accolades he won, Dr Chakava remained the village boy with a burning desire to uplift the lives of his people,” said Ambeva.

“He would mobilise the Maragoli professionals residing in Nairobi while I would reach out to those living in Mombasa and for ages, the Logooli community would converge in Vihiga in December every year to celebrate our culture where songs, dances, traditional sports, and food would be served in plenty," said Dr Ambeva.

At Vokoli, villagers hold the late Chakava in high esteem with some describing him as a role model who has mentored many learners in local schools where he gave lecturers or served as a board member.

He served as chairman and member of the Board of Management (BOM) in several schools including Moi Girls Vokoli, Pangani Girls High School, and Gahumbwa Secondary School.

At one point, the celebrated publisher served as the patron of Vokoli Primary School and oversaw a major facelift of the infrastructure and improved performance.

"I remember in 2013 we were on the same board at Moi Girls Vokoli and Dr Chakava inspired the team and helped propel the institution to where it is," said Vincent Atsiaya, a resident.

His contribution to society went beyond schools.  Chavaka, a staunch christian, was constructing a church in honour of his late father Joram Chakava in his village.

Locals said the late publisher used to frequent the village, visit local schools and churches, and interact with villagers freely. 

Hillary Chakava, who read his uncle’s eulogy, said his impact on the African publishing industry and on intellectual production in the region was second to none. “Today, we lay to rest one of the best in the publishing industry, a family man who impacted many lives,” he said. 

Chakava is survived by his wife Rosalind Khayasi and three children. 

Khayasi described her husband as a supportive man who took care of his family even with his busy schedule. “You have been our family’s pillar, resilient leader, provider, loving husband and father to us. The illness did not stop you from playing your role. What a gift from God, you have been, my husband. Rest in God’s eternal peace my love, until we meet again,” she said.

The late Chakava had more than 50 years of experience in the creation and publication of high-quality reading and learning materials in Kenya and beyond.

He began his career with British-owned Heinemann Educational Books Limited, an international publishing house where he became the organisation’s first African editor.

He later led the acquisition of the Heinemann (East Africa) and converted the company into a household name that is now East African Education Publishers.

He also nurtured and promoted African writers, furthering indigenous language and promoting greater access to books and other written materials for children.

He published the works of Ngugi wa Thiong'o, Grace Ogot, Francis Imbuga, John Kiriamiti, Mejja Mwangi, Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye (all from Kenya), Chinua Achebe, Cyprian Ekwensi (Nigeria), Taban Lo Liyong (South Sudan) Okot P’Bitek, John Ruganda (Uganda), David Rubadiri (Malawi) and Peter Abrahams (South Africa), among others.

Some of the notable leaders who attended Chakava's burial service were Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, Vihiga Governor Wilber Ottichilo, Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi, former Busia Senator Amos Wako and MPs, among others.

Mudavadi said many people attained literacy by reading books published under Chakava's watch.

"The late Chakava was a visionary leader who will be remembered for his significant contributions to the publishing and education sectors in the region and his dedication to African languages enriched our understanding of our culture and history through literature, ensuring that we laughed and learned simultaneously. The void left by his passing is a loss to Kenya and Africa as a whole, depriving us of a literary giant in independent African publishing," said the Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary. 

Mudavadi pledged to have Chakava honoured following a request by the East African Educational Publishers Managing Director Kiarie Kamau, who eulogised the late publisher as a national hero and requested the state to acknowledge his contribution to the country and the world.

Kamau wants the government to set up a Library and Resource Center in Vihiga and Nairobi counties in Chakava's honour.

"I fully agree that Henry Chakava deserves his place in the books of history and we will ensure that is done," said Mudavadi. 

Ottichilo also committed to have a Library and Resource Center in the memory of Chakava constructed in Vihiga.

"We will talk to MCAs to raise a motion in the assembly and propose that we put up a Henry Chakava Library and Resource Center which the county government will undertake and the East African Education Publishers Limited will equip it with literacy materials," said Ottichilo.