Bisi Alimi Reacts To Kenyan Gay Activist, Biyavanga Wainaina’s Death At 48

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Wainaina, was named among Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2014 for his gay rights activist, died at a Nairobi hospital after a brief illness.In 2014, following the passage of a series of anti-gay laws across Africa, Wainaina publicly announced that he was gay. In 2015, he suffered a stroke. In December 2016, he revealed on Twitter that he was HIV-positive.

Tom Maliti, the chairman of the literary magazine Kwani, which was founded by Wainaina, told The Daily Nation newspaper of Wainaina’s passing on Wednesday. Maliti said Wainaina died a few minutes past 10pm on Tuesday at a Nairobi hospital.

Wainana won the Caine Prize for African writing in 2002 for his short story Discovering Home in 2002.

Last year he announced his plans to marry his long-time partner in South Africa. The writer’s brother, James Wainaina told the BBC that his family wants to celebrate Binyavanga Wainaina’s life.

He said: “We are in a life celebration mood, we’re looking at this from a human level; it’s a human story. Allow that humanness to shine, people are hurting.”

Tributes have been pouring in on Twitter from people all over the world.

Bisi Alimi wrote: “Really heartbroken to wake up to the news of the passing of #Binyavangawainaina, once again, #Africa has lost another giant, another mortal has gone to be with the gods. Thank you for your writing and for adding colours to the #LGBT rainbows of the continent.”

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