Renowned Kenyan author and activist, Binyanvanga Wainaina passed away this past Tuesday following a short illness at Nairobi Hospital.
Wainaina, who founded literary magazine, Kwani won the Caine Prize for African Writing for his short story Discovering Home in 2002.
Time Magazine in 2014 included Wainaina in its list of the Most Influential People in the World.
Wainaina’s literary works included ‘How to Write About Africa‘ (2006), ‘One Day I Will Write About This Place: A Memoir‘ (2012), and ‘Nguva Na Nyoka’ (2016) meaning ‘Sirens and Serpents’ in Swahili.
Wainaina was never one to shy away from controversy and was one of the most high-profile people to publicly declare that he was gay, where homosexuality is largely seen as taboo.
Wainaina will be remembered for his courage and his wit, always challenging the status quo through his writings.
