Renowned Kenyan Gay Author Binyavanga Wainaina Cremated in Nairobi
Renowned Kenyan gay activist and author Kenneth Binyavanga Wainaina was on Wednesday cremated in Nairobi.
The body of Binyavanga was incinerated at Kariakor Crematorium in a low-key event attended by close family members and friends.
On Thursday, family and friends converged at the National Museum of Kenya in Nairobi for his memorial.
The award-winning writer passed away at a Nairobi hospital last week at the age of 48 after suffering stroke.
The 2002 Caine Prize winner for African Writing was the founder of the Nairobi-based journal Kwani?.
Binyavanga hit media headlines in January 2014 when he publicly announced that he was gay.
“Nobody, nobody, ever in my life has heard this. I am a homosexual, mum,” said Wainaina at the time.
He later tweeted: “I am, for anybody confused or in doubt, a homosexual. Gay, and quite happy.”
He made it to Times Magazine's “100 Most Influential People in the World” in 2014.
Binyavanga, who revealed that he was HIV positive in 2016, was set to wed his Nigerian lover early this year.
"I asked my love for his hand in marriage two weeks ago. He said yes, nearly immediately. He is Nigerian. we will be living in South Africa, where he will be studying next year. We will get married there, early next year. We will have a reception for Kenyans in Nairobi sometime next year too. Nothing has surprised me more than coming to love this person, who is gentle and has the most gorgeous heart. I consider myself hugely lucky that he loves me and I have only recently fallen in love with him, but we have known each other and have been dating on and off since 2012," he announced in a tweet last year.
He first suffered a stroke at his Nairobi home in October 2015, and was taken to India for treatment.
Comments (16)
Mimi namuunga mkono huyu ndugu yetu Binyavanga Wainaina kwa kukubali mwili wake uchomwe badala ya kuzikwa baada ya kufa.
Mila za kuchoma maiti asili yake ni India. Mimi nimeamua mwili wangu uchomwe baada ya kufa hata ingawa sio mila ya asili yangu ya mababu zangu.
Kwa hiyo nakubali nimepigwa msasa (brainwashed) na Wahindi kwa mambo mawili tu: Kwanza, mwili wangu kuchomwa baada ya kufa, Pili, napenda kula chapati, chakula ambacho asili yake ni India.
Imara, ongeza msasa wa tatu, kula pilipili kali!
@ Imara Daima,good thing about human beings is the ability to adapt.Burial grounds have been a problem in Nairobi. Some people getting buried outside the allotted space.Cremeation would take care of this.As for me when I check out,my body will go to SCIENCE to help humanity.We should encourage this.Medical students have to contend with indigents,and afew "proscience" donors.
I know its controversial, but once somebody is gone,what is left is useless,is it not better if some use can come out of it..
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@ Imara Daima,good thing about human beings is the ability to adapt.Burial grounds have been a problem in Nairobi. Some people getting buried outside the allotted space.Cremeation would take care of this.As for me when I check out,my body will go to SCIENCE to help humanity.We should encourage this.Medical students have to contend with indigents,and afew "proscience" donors.
I know its controversial, but once somebody is gone,what is left is useless,is it not better if some use can come out of it..
?
Apeleke those spirits to hell where they belong.One shoga with hiv dwn next will b that wife of his coz he is already infected by this gay shoga disease hiv/aids.Bure kabisa
Oh yes! God CREMATED Sodom and Gomorrah. No wonder.
Nothing much l can say but let him face his maker...
May his soul rest in eternal peace. May his spirit not be tempted to bring in the demon of homosexuality in our world
@Imara Mila na desturi za nyingi za jamii za wafrika zilikuwani kutupa maiti vichakani and wait for the fisi to do the necessary. I think this is more respectful than burning.
He could have done a better job by telling us how he acquired his HIV.
And who the person/people that transmitted it to to him was ???
Now another soul is in danger of being infected because of lack of knowledge.
Anus sex births HIV (that cause AIDS). NB: Whereas HIV is Spread by All manner of Agents (Heterosexuals and other Contaminants), Sodomy is the ORIGINATOR. Anus sex!!!
@Guest:
"Mgeni" amepigwa msasa wa kuchukua imani ya kigeni, yaani imani ya Wayahudi/Wanayuropa na kuifanya yake. Kila wakati "mgeni hutoa mifano kutoka kwenye biblia kitabu cha historia ya Wayahudi. Huenda ikawa hata jina lake ni la kigeni pia. Pole sana Ndugu "mgeni."
@Kijana. Umesema kweli. Msasa wa tatu niliopigwa na Wahindi ni kula pilipili, ambazo asili yake ni India ya Kusini.
Kwa hiyo inaonekana dhahiri (obvious) ya kwamba binadamu walio rahisi (easy) sana kupigwa msasa ni Wafrika. Si ajabu kumkuta Mwafrika ambaye ana:
1. Jina la kigeni
2. Imani ya kigeni (mkristo au muisilamu)
3. Sema lugha ya kigeni pamoja na familia yake nyumbani kwake
4. Mume au mke wa kigeni
5. Nywele za bandia - pia amebadilisha rangi ya ngozi yake
6. Meno ya bandia
7. Mila za Wanayuropa au za Waarabu
Kwa kifupi, Mwafrika wa sasa ni Mwafrika kwa asili/damu tu (DNA), lakini karibu kila kitu hata akili yake imeharibiwa kiasi cha kusema anafikiria kama Mwanayuropa!
Ndugu @Njai:
Nimesikia maneno uliyosema. Kusema kweli, Mwafrika wa sasa amebadilika kiwango ambacho mababu zetu wakifufuka (come to life) sasa, wanaweza kuwaogopa sana Wafrika wa kisasa.
Tumepigwa msasa kiwango ambacho "anything goes," au kwa Kifaranza, "tout va." Ndiyo sababu niliyosema juu ya Hayati Binyavanga Wainana (ambaye alichukua msimamo wa ngono wa kigeni na kuwa basha-homosexual) ya kwamba, ni rahisi kwetu sisi ambao hatufanyi ngono ya aina hiyo kumkosoa (criticize) kiwango ambacho hatuoni misasa mingine mingi ambayo sisi wenyewe tuliyopigwa.
Ndugu yetu @Maxiley ameamua kutoa mwili wake ufanyiwe utafiti (research) baada ya kufa. Ninao marafiki wachache ambao wamechukua msimamo kama wake. Jambo muhimu huyu ndugu yetu amesema ni "...good thing about human beings is the ability to adapt."
Mimi binafsi nimejifunza mambo mengi kutoka nchi nyingine au watu wengine lakini, nimeshindwa kabisa kuchukua imani ya kigeni au majina ya kigeni. Ndiyo sababu mmeona jinsi ninavyochukia (hate) dini ya Mwana Mariamu na pia ya Mwana Aisha. Wafuasi wa dini hizi mbili waliwauza Wafrika sokoni kama "nyama choma" na mpaka sasa wangali wanamdharau na pia kumchukia Mwafrika. mungu wao ni mungu wa chuki. Nina hakika ya kwamba, wakimtambua MWUMBAJI MKUU, watakubali viumbe vyote alivyoumba na wataanza kumkubali na kumheshimu Mwafrika kama wanavyojiheshimu na kujipenda. Lakini kwa sasa, "mungu" wao ni mungu wa chuki na madharau.
Niliamua kubuni (invent) dini yangu mwenyewe ambayo inasema, MWUMBAJI MKUU aliponipa akili, kazi yake ilimalizika kabisa. Ninajitahidi (make an effort) kutumia akili yangu kila siku kwa sababu nisipofanya hivyo, mtu mwingine ataitumia kwa manufaa yake mwenyewe na mwishowe nitajikuta nimeumia.
He made Kenya great by putting the Kenyan name on the world literary map. Your courage ,generosity of heart and genius made Kenya great. Fare thee well!
@Kijana:
Naomba nawe uniambie misasa mingapi uliyopigwa. Sidhani kwa sasa, kuna Mwafrika hata mmoja ambaye anaweza kusema ukweli ya kwamba hana msasa wowote kutoka kwa Wanayuropa, Waarabu, au Wahindi.
Uzuri wa misasa ya Wahindi ni kuwa wao hawakulazimishi kufuata dini, chakula, au mila zao. Wewe mwenyewe unajichagulia mila za Wahindi unayopenda bila wao kukulazimisha kama Waarabu au Wanayuropa.
Wahindi walikuja Kenya wakati mmoja na Waingereza. Jambo la ajabu ni kuwa sijakutana na Mwafrika hata mmoja ambaye ni mfuasi wa dini yao ya Kihindu. Pili, sijamwona Mkenya hata mmoja ambaye anaitwa Arjun, Vihaan, au Patel
Wahindi walikuwa na mtu mmoja mashuhuri sana ambaye aliitwa " Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi." Mtu huyu alipigania uhuru katika nchi ya India. Ajabu ni kuwa hakuna hata Mkenya mmoja ambaye anaitwa jina lake. Kwa nini? Wahindi hawawapigi watu msasa kama Waarabu na Wanayuropa. Hebu niambie ....
Sasa wengine mkisema HIV inaambukizwa na "anus sex" na wengine hata hapa wanaji identity as Straight but wao ndio wa kwanza kukula bibi ama girlfriend nyuma. Hebu tuongeange ukweli na tuwache matusi za ovyo ovyo towards the gay community. You find a man busy signing up on three-somes/ or endlessly fantasizing about banging two women- he wants to be with two women, but doesn't want to see two gay women/ lesbians in a relationship. It's been a huge issue even in marriages that habe span decades, suddenly the Kenyan husband wants to leave the wife coz she isn't adventurous enough, ati she doesn't want to spice up the marriage coz she has refused anal sex and yet that same man has a gacugwa out there who gives him everything. How then can you afford to be homophobic yet your sexual acts and fantasies are more bizzare than any gay couples'?