We should celebrate our heroes while alive instead of paying them heavy tributes when they pass on. PROF EGARA KABAJI is my heroe.. Look at one of his creative works when he pays tribute to the fallen prof Mazrui. In this creative rendition, set in After Africa, Egara Kabaji puts Ali Mazrui on trial and finds him guilty of minor offences of commission and omission as a creative writer. Read the verdict of African literary ancestors. This play is set in After Africa (where Africans go to after death). Ali Mazrui arrives on 13th October, 2014. He finds African literary ancestors under a big mugumo tree. Each one of them is taking his or her own favourite drink. Margaret Ogola and Sembene Ousmane are taking milk; Flora Nwapa is on kola while the rest are on busaa. At the far corner is Chinua Achebe talking to Christopher Okigbo in low tones. Ekwensi is seated with Flora Nwapa and Dambudzo Marechera. At the other corner are Mwangi Chicheru, Wahome Mutahi and Francis Imbuga. Okot p’Bitek is seated all alone. The literary ancestors are all in a pensive mood. Wahome Mutahi: I am told that Ali Mazrui has just been dispatched to this world. Francis Imbuga: What? Is that the reason why thunder and lightning violently tore through the skies yesterday? Wahome Mutahi: It was the tears of his two Thatchers’ that made the situation even worse. Mwangi Gicheru: I lived in his hometown of Mombasa for a long time. Yet I never saw him in a single literary meeting. I think he has many questions to answer before being admitted to join us, but…(Margaret Ogola stands up and walks to the front as all eyes of those present trail her.) Margaret Ogola: Literary ancestors of Africa! Here is yet another one from East Africa. We from East Africa wish him all the best in his trial to determine if he is worthy of being here. We pray for the prosecutor, Apolo Gyamfi, to be filled with wisdom as he presides over the case. (There is thunderstorm and lightning as Apolo Gyamfi arrives and takes his seat at the front.) POLITICAL SCIENTIST Apolo Gyamfi: Thanks, Margaret. The will of the literary ancestors will prevail in this matter. Ali Mazrui faces two charges so far. First, that he pretended to be a creative writer when he was a political scientist. As you know, the charge of pretence is a serious one. Okot p’Bitek: (Interjecting amid murmurs) He was an over-enthusiastic cleric and not a… Apolo Gyamfi: Silence! The second charge is that he, most of the time, engaged in self-praise in search of fame and fought many unnecessary wars. You all know our rules here. These are the charges filed as at this morning’s deadline. Ancestor Okot p’Bitek knows that he should have forwarded his in time instead of spending much time taking busaa. (They all laugh) Dambudzo Marechera: Yes, p’Bitek is more notorious in the company of his friend Leornard Kibera. Thank God Kibera is attending to the other matter that you all know. You remember how they behaved when Shakespeare was visiting all the way from After Europe? Flora Nwapa: Stop this discussion. Do not vilify my brother p’Bitek. I am sure you remember how he made us proud when Richard Wright, our brother from our other mother, dropped in. Apolo Gyamfi: Shhhhhhhhh! Let us listen to Askari. Askari: Sir, the accused has just arrived. May I bring him in? Apolo Gyamfi: Certainly. Margaret Ogola, be ready to give the final word since you seem to be the only one having milk. Oh… Sorry, yes, I can see Ousmane is also having milk. He will give the final word in our next case. (Ali Mazrui arrives in an overflowing white robe.) Apolo Gyamfi: You are charged that throughout your life in the Herebefore, you pretended and masqueraded as a creative writer. Do you accept the charge? Ali Mazrui: (Sobbing) Though I was a political scientist, I always wanted to be a creative writer. I tried and produced only one novel based on the pain I felt over the death of my friend Okigbo. Francis Imbuga: (Hahaaaaa!) So you were trained but you took on the wrong job? (He chuckles). Let me take another swallow. Ali Mazrui: I should be accepted here because I wished to be a creative writer and I tried. Dambudzo Marechera: That was not a novel but an essay, true? Ali Mazrui: Yes, perhaps a literary essay with high voltage imagination. Apolo Gyamfi: You have started it again? Be humble while here, Ali. You have also been accused of spending a lot of your time in self-praise and simple fights. Ali Mazrui: I was always provoked, especially by William Ochieng’, who has already joined this world, and Wole Soyinka, who is still in the Herebefore. Chinua Achebe: Every writer suffers from this disease. Creative imagining often comes with a sense of vanity. I wish to suggest that we strike off this charge. Cyprian Ekwensi: (shouting) Ukweli kabisa! All: Yeeeeees! Apolo Gyamfi: Margaret Ogola, rule on this case so that we move to another. I am told another writer from Herebefore is on his way. All: Who?! Apolo Gyamfi: I will disclose the name later. Margaret Ogola, please! Margaret Ogola: Holy scriptures from all religions say that those who live by the sword die by the sword. You lived wanting to be a creative writer and died wanting to be one. You tried, but you did not try enough. One novel is not good enough. I find you guilty, but because of the love of God, you will spend forty days in the wilderness then join us as a literary ancestor. (They all stand up and cheer Ali Mazrui with song and dance for getting the opportunity to be a literary ancestor.) Kabaji is a professor of Literary Communication and a Deputy-Vice Chancellor (Planning, Research and Innovation) at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology.
Posted on: Sat, 18 Oct 2014 18:21:18 +0000
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