By RFIPalled on 22-05-2019Modified 22-05-2019 at 22:34
Kenyans mourn the death of writer and essayist Binyavanga Wainaina. He died on Tuesday night at the age of 48 due to illness. Binyavanga, very popular on the African continent and recognized around the world, was also controversial in his native Kenya, because he defended the rights of homosexuals.
" A refined author ". " A talented thinker with extraordinary personality ". Tributes pour in since the death of Binyavanga Wainaina. He is known around the world thanks to his satirical essay "How to Write About Africa? In which he dissects the clichés on Africa of Western writers.
It was in 2002 that his career took off. He won one of the most prestigious awards for African literature, the Caine Award. He then launched the magazine Kwani , now a publishing house.
But Binyavanga Wainaina is not unanimous in Africa. Because the man fights for the cause of homosexuals, erected from now on in icon of the movement. In 2014, TIME magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world. It was the same year he openly announced his homosexuality. He was one of the first Kenyan personalities to do so publicly.
Ironically, Binyavanga Wainaina died a few days before a decision that could decriminalize homosexuality in Kenya. The verdict is expected this Friday.
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