UPDATE:
Portions of information from Kenya indicate that Bantu Mwaura may have taken his own life. There is still no official information about what really happened.
By Standard Reporter
Police are investigating the death of a human rights activist and university lecturer Bantu Mwaura, whose body was found outside his gate at Sunlight estate in Nairobi’s Lang’ata area, on Monday morning.
Sources said that family members of Bantu, who was also a renowned thespian, director, poet and storyteller, had reported him missing on Friday. Bantu was a respected poet whose work in English, Kiswahili and Gikuyu has been published in several journals.
He had a PhD in Performance Studies from the New York University and a Masters in Theatre Studies from Leeds University (UK)
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I am equally shocked and don’t understand why an intellectual like Bantu Mwaura could disappear mysteriously only to be found dead after a few days near his home. ¨
I did not know him personally, but had earlier read about him and what he represented, which was the current crop of performance artists who are fearless and continue the legacy of the likes of Professors Ngugi wa Thiong’o and Micere Mugo, who were locked out and driven into exile for their steadfast criticism of former President Moi’s ills.
Bantu has now been reduced into another ‘statistic’, bundled with the late two human rights activists, King’ara and Oulu. Times seemed to have changed for the better when President Kibaki took over power in 2003. However, Kenyans are today more disillusioned by such suspicious deaths that continue robbing the country of talented people. The truth is out there.
May Bantu’s soul rest in eternal peace. It is a sorrowful moment for his family, the entire community of artists, civil society and concerned Kenyans.
Latest update on Bantu´s memorial and funeral arrangements, and autopsy results:
http://www.shailja.com/news/newsletterblog/index.html
His death is a tremendous loss to all of us who knew him as a friend and valued colleague. I am filled with sadness.