Ken Walibora (born 6 January 1964) was a famous African professor, author, poet, novelist, literary, play writer, cultural scholar, and motivational speaker from Bungoma, Kenya, East Africa. He was well-known in the country because of his books. He was a multitalented person.
As an author, he wrote so many popular books. But his most selling and lovable book is Siku Njema (published 1996). There were so many copies of this book were sold the entire world. Apart from this, Ken was a motivational speaker and a professor.
He worked at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the USA as an Assistant Professor. In this university, he taught students the lectures of African Languages and Literature. He also wrote many kinds of literature and novels. Walibora was a prolific Kiswahili fiction writer.
He was honored with so many awards for his talent and excellence. In the year 2003, he earned the Jomo Kenyatta Literature Prize for his literature titled “Ndoto ya Amerika”. He won the same award for his novel “Kisasi Hapana” in the year 2009. Before his death, Ken Walibora was working on his latest literature book project titled “Kenyan political prisoners”.
Ken Walibora died at the age of 56
Famous author Ken died on 10 April 2020 in a hospital in the city. Police say that he died in a road accident. He was 56 years old at the time of death. Police Commander Mr. Philip Ndolo said that a fast approaching Matatu bus beat him up and ran.
The accident took place on Landhies Road around 9 am. Inquiries from Ken’s family revealed that Ken Walibora had been missing for a long time. His dead body was found in the Kenyatta National Hospital mortuary. Police say they are looking for the driver and will be caught soon.
Childhood, Parents, Siblings & Education
The great author came to this world from his parents on Monday, January 6, 1964 (aged 56 years old), in Bungoma, Kenya, East Africa. He was the youngest child in the family. He was born in a middle-class family.
His father (name not known) was a headmaster in the school. His mother’s name is “Ruth Nasambu Makali” and she was a homemaker. When he was 4 years old, his family moved to Cherangany. He spent his childhood there with his siblings. He joined a local high school for his schooling.
After that, he enrolled his name at the University of Nairobi and completed his graduation in the field of Arts Literature. He also earned the Swahili studies from the same university. Then, he took admission to the Ohio State University Columbus. From this university, Ken did his master’s degree in Comparative Cultural Studies and Ph.D. from Ohio State University United States.
| Quick Info & Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Full Real Name | Ken Walibora. |
| Nickname | Ken. |
| Profession | Professor, Author, Novelist, Poet, Play writer, Cultural Scholar, and Literary. |
| Date of Birth | January 6, 1964. |
| Age at the time of death | 56 years old. |
| Place of Death | Landhies Road. |
| Zodiac Sign | Capricorn. |
| Place of Birth | Bungoma, Kenya, East Africa. |
| Cause of Death | Road Accident. |
| Nationality | African. |
| Religion | Not Known. |
| Gender | Male. |
| Sexuality | Straight. |
| Social Media Profiles | Twitter: @KenWalibora (17.9K + followers). |
| Family | |
| Parents | Father: Name Not Known. Mother: Ruth Nasambu Makali. |
| Siblings | NA. |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| Height | Feet & Inches: 5' 8". Centimeters: 172 cm. Meters: 1.72 m. |
| Weight | Kilograms: 65 Kg. Pounds: 143 lbs. |
| Hair Color | Black. |
| Eye Color | Black. |
| Personal Life | |
| Marital Status | Married. |
| Wife | Not Known. |
| Education | |
| Highest Qualification | Graduation. |
| School | local high school. |
| Alma Mater | 1. The University of Nairobi. 2. The Ohio State University Columbus. 3. The Ohio State University United States. |
| Career & Wealth | |
| Books | 1. Chapuchapu. 2. Damu Nyeusi an Hadithi Nyingine. 3. Hazina Bora. 4. Homa ya Nyumbani. 5. Innocence Long Lost. 6. Kidagaa Kimemwozea. 7. Kufa Kuzikana. 8. Mbaya Wetu. 9. Naskia Sauti ya Mama. 10. Ndoto ya Almasi. 11. Siku Njema. 12. Upande Mwingine. |
| Net worth (approx.) | $4-5 million US dollars (As of 2020). |
Career
After completing his Ph.D. he started writing his own book. after some time, he started working on the NTV Kenyan news channel as a Kiswahili newsreader. While working on the news channel, he wrote so many books. After working for some time at NTV, he quit the job and became an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA.
He was a great poet and author also. In the year 1996, he published a book titled “Siku Njema”, which became the most popular in the world. Apart from this, he also wrote so many other books like Chapuchapu, Damu Nyeusi an Hadithi Nyingine, Kidagaa Kimemwozea, Kufa Kuzikana, and others.
Not only books but Professor Ken Walibora also wrote many kinds of literature and novels. He also won so many awards for his best writing. Ken also researched and published many articles such as the Journal of the Association of African Literature, East African Literary, and Cultural Studies, etc.
He also worked on Human Rights, Society and Political Incarceration in Africa, and others. Walibora also served the position of a professor and headmaster at the Riara University. Ken earned the Net worth of $4-5 million USD (as in 2020) from his career.
Some Lesser Known Facts About Ken Walibora
- Ken kept his personal life secret.
- According to some sources, he was married but live alone.
- The name and profession of his wife are not available.
- Moreover, he gave more focus on his writing career.
- Ken Walibora’s height was 5 feet 8 inches (in meters 1.72 m).
- His body weight was around 65 kilograms (in pounds 143 lbs).
- Ken worked as a news anchor and editor for 4 years from 1996 to 1999 at Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC).
- In an interview, Walibora said that he wanted to become a police officer in childhood.
- He also worked at the National Media Group (NMG) for 6 years.
- Because of his talent, Ken Walibora earned more than 40 titles.
- His real birth name is Ken Walibora Waliaula.
- When he was 20 years old, his mother died at the age of 51 due to a long time disease.
- Walibora earned the Jomo Kenyatta Literature price for three times.
