Veteran publisher Dr. Henry Chakava dies aged 77

Veteran publisher Dr. Henry Chakava is dead. 

Dr Chakava, who passed on at the age of 77, was the founder and Chairman of the East African Educational Publishers Limited and leaves a rich legacy after an illustrious career in publishing in Africa.

In a statement to announce his death, East African Educational Publishers Managing Director and CEO Kiarie Kamamu stated that Dr. Chakava passed away at 5am on Friday morning while receiving treatment in hospital.

Mr. Kamamu described the late Chakava as the father of book publishing in Africa, having played a key role in the acquisition of the British Multinational Heinemann (East Africa) which was later renamed to the East African Educational Publishers.

Dr Chakava’s legacy is decorated by the many iconic literary figures he published including Ngugi Wa Thiong’o, Grace Ogot, Francis Imbuga, John Kiriamiti, Meja Mwangi, and Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye all from Kenya.

Nigeria’s Chinua Achebe and Cyprian Ekwensi, South Sudan’s Taban Lo Liyong, among other continental literary luminaries like Okot p’Bitek, John Ruganda, David Rubadiri and Peter Abrahams.

Dr. Chakava was born in Vokoli, Vihiga County, and began his career after completing his studies in literature and philosophy in 1972.

Among the great number of educational and cultural books he published, he is credited for giving an African perspective to the school books for primary and tertiary education which had previously been greatly influenced by the Western culture.