Professor Ali Mazrui Dies

The Professor died last night at a hospital in New York after prolonged illness.

Mazrui  was born in Mombasa Kenya and went to schools in Mombasa for his early education.

Later Mazrui obtained his B.A. with Distinction from Manchester University in Great Britain in 1960.

He further obtained his M.A. from Columbia University in New York in 1961 and his doctorate (Dphil) from Oxford University Nutfeld College in 1966.

Upon completing his education at Oxford University, Mazrui joined Makerere University in Uganda where he served as HOD of political science and Dean of social sciences.

He served at Makerere University until 1973 when he was forced into exile by the then president Idi Amin.

In 1974, he joined the faculty of the University of Michigan as professor and later was appointed the Director of the Center for Afro-American and African Studies.

In 1989, he was appointed to the faculty of Binghamton State University of New York as the Albert Schweitzer Professor in the Humanities and the Director of the Institute of Global Cultural Studies.

In addition to his many academic appointments, Mazrui also served as President of the African Studies Association and as VP of the International Political Science Association.

He also served as Special Advisor to the World Bank and on the Board of the American Muslim Council.

Mombasa County Senator Hassan Omar and Governor Hassan Joho confirmed the death adding that preparations to bury him in Mombasa were underway.

Joho said the coast region had lost a great man, a scholar and an academic professor of Islamican African studies.

The scholar was born on the 24th of February, 1933 in Mombasa.

He was a political writer on African and Islamic studies and North-South Relations.

Mazrui once served as the first non-president chancellor of Jomo-Kenyatta University of agriculture and technology JKUAT under the Kibaki regime.

By Bonareri Nyamoita

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