Renowned Kenyan scholar Ali Alamin Mazrui passed away Monday morning in Binghamton, New York in the United States.
Prof Mazrui died at the age of 81 and family members say he was unwell for a couple of months.
Muslims for Human Rights (Muhuri) chairperson Mr Khelef Khalifa said the body of the late Prof Mazrui will be flown to Kenya for burial.
“His nephew, Alamin Mazrui has confirmed that the Professor’s wish was to be buried in Kenya,” he said.
Prof Mazrui was born on February 24, 1933 in Mombasa.
At the time of his death, he was a professor at Binghamton University in New York.
Prof Mazrui is a renowned scholar worldwide having lectured in five continents. He once served as Chancellor of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. Prof Mazrui political writer on African and Islamic studies and North-South relations with over 30 books to his credit. In 2005, Ali Mazrui was selected as the 73rd topmost intellectual person in the world on the list of Top 100 Public Intellectuals by Prospect Magazine (UK) and Foreign Policy (United States).
He is survived by a wife and six children.
Meanwhile, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has sent his message of condolence to the family of the late Mazrui, whom he described as a “a towering academician whose intellectual contributions played a major role in shaping African scholarship”.
The President said Prof Mazrui was one of the greatest scholars Kenya and the continent have ever produced.
“Am deeply saddened by the passing on of the professor. Indeed, death has robbed us of one of Kenya’s greatest scholars,” President Kenyatta said.
