In case you want to know Philip Ochieng’, the grammar guru who transformed Kenyan journalism, I instruct you to visit Prestige Bookshop, buy and read The 5th Columnist: A Legendary Journalist by Liz Gitonga Wanjohi. It is a compelling tale of a great journalist who learnt the ropes on the job. Dr. Joyce Nyairo, a cultural analyst admits in the prolegomenon: the brilliant biographer accepted a daunting task — Of putting into words the life of one of the greatest grammarians in the country, a wonderful wordsmith — who had an admirable celerity of mind, and felicity of diction.
Foremost, Wangethi Mwangi, former Nation Media Group Editorial Director contended that Philip Ochieng’ enjoyed his life — socially, when he was younger — and intellectually, in his retirement. Those who went to school with him posit that he evinced excellence in English right from the onset. Later in life, he taught good grammar through his well-woven newspaper columns. He described himself as a freelance grammar teacher. Dr. Tom Odhiambo, a senior literary scholar at The University of Nairobi also described Ochieng’ as a language doctor, editor, philosopher, social historian and careful critic.
Indeed, we describe him as a seasoned scribe. He straddled the East African media landscape like a colossus. Tracing his background from his simple peasantry upbringing in Awendo, Migori County, the better writer was a precocious person, with a penchant for learning from a fledgling age.
In retrospect, Philip Ochieng’ joined Alliance High School (AHS) in 1955 at the height of Mau Mau Rebellion, in which African guerilla fighters had taken up arms against British colonial rule. In those years of yore, Edward Carrey Francis was the Headmaster of AHS. This great educationist, who earlier on taught at Maseno School, instilled discipline in his sedulous students. For instance, every Friday, he delivered pep talks touching on a wide array of topics.
Again, Philip Ochieng’ and Tom Mboya (Rateng’ Okew Gi Odhiambo) had a close camaraderie. During school holidays, Ochieng’ spent some time at Mboya’s house in Ziwani, and later in Lavington in the trendiest town, Nairobi. Occasionally, the young trade unionist, Mboya, defrayed Ochieng’s school fees and gave him some doit amount of moolah to serve as pocket money. Again, Philip Ochieng’ was in the first cohort of the 81 Kenyan students who left the country in 1959 for further studies in America. Unfortunately, while in America, Ochieng’ never completed his undergraduate studies.
Albeit, he became a towering intellectual. Apparently, his brilliance and radiance dwarfed those who had accumulated copious academic degrees in life. He was intellectually omnivorous. Meaning, his ken of knowledge extended from the most mundane topics to Nuclear Physics. He had intellectual knowledge on virtually any topic — spanning from Greek Mythology to the Bible; from literary classics to oral tradition, Astrophysics to ancient history (antiquity).
Somewhat, when Ochieng’ son of Otani dropped out of Roosevelt University, and flew back to Kenya in 1961, Tom Mboya rescued him from intellectual oblivion. Rateng’ Okew Godhiambo helped my namesake secure a second scholarship to study in France. There was also an amity between Philip Ochieng’ and Barrack Obama Senior. While Ochieng’ matriculated into Roosevelt University, Obama Senior joined University of Hawaii.
Actually, Ochieng’ was not a trained journalist. Instead, he studied English Language, Literature, as well as French. But due to his trenchant zest, he rose through the ranks in the newsroom and became a great journalist. He first joined Nation in 1966 when Michael Chester was the news editor.
Ideally, it was at The East African Journal where Ochieng’ perfected his sub-editing skills. Therein, he also interacted with luminaries in the literary world like Okot p’Bitek. No wonder, he edited his poetry: Song of Lawino, Song of Okol, Song of Malaya and Potent Ash. Moreover, together with literary giants like Taban Lo Liyong, they strategised on how to Africanise the Literature Department at the University of Nairobi (UoN).
T. Adhiambo writing in his doctoral thesis in 1968 pointed out that a pantheon of literary greats at UoN like Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Taban Lo Liyong, Owuor Anyumba and Okot p’Bitek: Clamoured for a transformation of the English and Literature Department. The dons agreed that there was an exigent need for an ‘African narrative’ to supplant the syllabus they perceived was too European in orientation and inclination.
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Furthermore, the great journalist also authored I Accuse The Press and co-authored The Kenyatta Succession with Joseph Karimi. Conversely, Philip Ochieng’s writing éclat became a subject of debate for a long time. Some people with poor word banks, limited vocabulary, and laziness to learn: Complained about his predilection for big words while writing. They accused him of grandiloquence and magniloquence: Use of high-flown language. Which begs the question: Who was Ochieng’ really writing for? In his robust rebuttal, he blamed such lousy readers for suffering from mental blocks, which barred them from digesting his deep messages.
Lastly, in 2004, President Mwai Kibaki awarded him the coveted Order of the Grand Warrior of Kenya Award (OGW). Later, in January 2010, he was in the task force that reviewed the current education system: to align it with the new constitution. Therefore, in his sunset days, Philip Ochieng’ led an extremely busy life. He still found time to read ravenously and to write right.
Also, due to his cache of experience from his many years of service in journalism, and his vast knowledge of virtually all areas of life, Philip Ochieng’ was often picked to advise the government on various issues. When the Kenya Yearbook Editorial Board (KYEB) was formed in November 2008 as a state Cooperation, Ochieng’ was one of its journalists. In a morbid sense, in 2021, the Grim Reaper plucked him from the green garden of life at age 83. He is silent and absent in our major writing spaces, but his profound intellectual spirit lives in scribes like us. We keep his life and legacy alive by welding words, daily.
By Victor Ochieng’
The reviewer is a ravenous reader and peripatetic speaker.
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