OJWANG: The Passing of Kenya's King of Comedy

1. He may not have been the father of the Kenyan comedy nation. There were luminaries before him that we remember, in particular: Mzee Pembe and Kipanga. But these were mostly of the radio era. In the Seventies and Eighties, Ojwang became the quintessential king of comedy for most TV-era Kenyans. Comedy, more specifically the Vitimbi series, made him famous -- but far from materially comfortable, let alone prosperous. 
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3. Fame may have been good enough for him, but not for those who know how talent should properly be rewarded, and who now join everyone else who's mourning him.
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5. For the man's died. A Kikuyu (aka Wanjau) with a Luo pseudonym, who -- once you were hooked on his stage character -- it spooked you to even imagine was a Kikuyu. He was so genuinely a Luo in his looks and accent and vocabulary and turn of phrase and mannerism..
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7. He died last night of (we understand) pneumonia, a poor man, all of 78 (or 85 or whatever) years of age. Kenyans of all walks suddenly found themselves 'orphaned'; and in silent, private hand-wringing for someone who had made them (us) laugh all these gone years -- years we now had to pause to fondly remember.
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9. So we rushed to social media to express and share our many-sided sorrows and remembrances. On Twitter, the hashtag #MourningMzeeOjwang became the kraal at which kindred #KOT (Kenyans on Twitter) 'gathered' -- some, I dare say, with intimations or temptations of 'Tero Buru'. It quickly became the country's top trending tag, though not for long.

And so it was that at 10:30 this morning (GMT+3), Twitter's Top 5 'Kenya Trends' featured as: 

1. #MourningMzeeOjwang

2. Morgan Schneiderlin

3. Raheem Sterlin

4. #CampusIconOnKuFm
5. El Chapo.
Here's the tweet that I myself posted this morning:‏

"#MourningMzeeOjwang: #Vitimbi various part 2 (Oldies)full movies https://youtu.be/6gNSGaJemZk  #Ojwang #Comedian #Comedy #Kenya #KOT [Y sez: RIP]"

Click here for another offering of Vitimbi >> Ojwang's opus:
Let me also share with you below a few of the many tweets that appeared today:

1. ktn ‏@KTNKenya 

   RT @JaneNgochi @KTNKenya @Ian_Wafula R.I.P mzee,most of us rem how he made our childhood with his jokes #MourningMzeeOjwang
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   TheHubKaren ‏@TheHubKaren 

   Our heartfelt condolences to Benson Wanjau's family. #MourningMzeeOjwang. We celebrate you. Rest in eternal peace Mzee.

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   Francis Njogu ‏@fknjogu  

   If you grew up in the 80's Kenya, your entertainment probably revolved around Vitimbi and the one & only Ojwang Hatari. #MourningMzeeOjwang
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   Mageto Elijah ‏@MagetoElijah1 

   Mzee Ojwang,Greatest Male actor of all time in Kenya #MourningMzeeOjwang
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5. David Njuki ‏@njukey 

   Will always remember the classic intro of himself as 'Johnstone Sibour Mang'ang'a Hatari Ojwang! ….Brrrrrrrrrrr' #MourningMzeeOjwang
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   KenyanKid ‏@menamench 

   My childhood was fun because of MzeeOjwang on the screens, the unsung hero of Comedy. May you RIP #MourningMzeeOjwang this is a wake up call

1. wycliffe ozumba ‏@wycliffeozumba 

   I was shocked on learning of your promotion to Glory,i first saw you in a Red 14'' Black&White Great wall R.I.P #MourningMzeeOjwang
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1. HiviSasa ‏@HiviSasa 

   RIP #MourningMzeeOjwang

   
   

   

   
   

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In a sort of quick summation of what I consider a key pillar of Ojwang's comedic legacy, I later tweeted as follows:

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"#KOT: Advertisers/Marketers who feel safe using #Luo words in their commercials & billboards have #Ojwang 2 thank 4 it. #MourningMzeeOjwang." And as I pointed out in a tweet even before he died, he is the reason (because he had the platform) that many, many Kenyans now say, without batting an eye (and without knowing when or how it all started): "Nilimpea" (I gave him, or her), instead of the old conventional: "Nilimpa" or "Nilimpatia."   .


[PS: I have reworked some parts of the original post, after a simmer].