Literary giant passes on
WHERE does one find words to tell the life and works of Austin Ejiet, a towering intellectual? For Eijet (author, newspaper columnist and educationist) was in many ways considered a master of language and communication.
By Emmanuel Ssejjengo
WHERE does one find words to tell the life and works of Austin Ejiet, a towering intellectual? For Eijet (author, newspaper columnist and educationist) was in many ways considered a master of language and communication.
He was a meticulous writer and it takes great courage to write well about him.
He started feeling unwell in July last year. Several medical tests carried out in Nairobi and Mulago hospitals revealed he had cancer of the liver, which eventually killed him on January 3.
Looks are deceptive as Ejiet’s physical stature confirms. He was a tall man who appeared capable of pouncing on anyone who crossed his way. However, Ejiet was humble, perceptive and respected people.
His character was shaped right from childhood. His father, Daniel Akol, was a teacher and a disciplinarian. It goes without a doubt that Ejiet was like his father.
He spent time at Nagongera Seminary which further shaped his character into a humble disciplined introvert. In his quiet manner, he turned to the pen.
“Ejiet dedicated his life to education and writing. He lectured for 34 years. To us, the family members, he remained quiet but we noticed that he was intelligent,†says Nicholas Ijoot, his uncle.
Jonathan Angura, his cousin, remembers him as a very reserved boy and genius during his primary school days.
“The late had two children, a boy and a girl,†he says. The daughter died during the Teso insurgency and the son is a student at Uganda Christian University, Mukono. His wife Hellen Asio died in July 1985.
“Our mother died when father was still young. However, he did not remarry because he loved our mother so much,†says Pauline Atai, his foster daughter.
Education background
Ejiet was taught by highly regarded educationists like Austin Bukenya and Arthur Gakwandi. He gave back fairly and has taught revered lecturers like Dr. Susan Kiguli of Makerere University’s Literature Department.
Bukenya says:“I taught Austin in his undergraduate days at Makerere University between 1975 and 1978. He was diligent, organised but also brilliant. His consistent good performance earned him a first class degree (probably the first in the department). In 1974, he was the best arts student in A’ Level.â€
Bukenya says Ejiet was a great satirist.
“Ejiet was good at mentoring students,†says Kiguli. He was a man with a big brain who never carried lecture notes to class. Kiguli vividly remembers a lecture when Ejiet entered the class and taught without looking at any notes.
After the lecture, Kiguli ran off to the library to cross-check on the facts which were true to the dot. She says Ejiet was a very strong satirist because he was concerned about justice. “He was very perceptive, meticulous, honest, reliable and had a quick mind,†she says of Ejiet.
From then on, he remained at the university in different capacities. In the early 1990s, he was appointed head of the department, making him a boss of his former lecturer, Prof. Bukenya.
“He left the department under a lot of disappointment and wrangling,†says Bukenya. “He was not comfortable with the university’s mechanised approach to academics, especially literature which is about involvement and genuine response.â€
Makerere left him with a change of name. He had been baptised Augustine but because of the “Englishness†of the department then, it was changed to Austin.
His mark is still evident at Makerere. He started the creative writing course and founded the Mass Communication Department. Ejiet was also helpful in raising the bar of FEMRITE publications, helped in translating the Uganda Constitution into Ateso, wrote several text books on the current school curricular and his last short story anthology was Aida, Hurray for Sommo and Other Short stories.
He later worked at Nkumba University. By the time of his death, he was the dean of the Faculty of Humanities at Kampala International University.
Ejiet was the third-born of eight. He was born on May 13, 1951 to Daniel Akol and Martha Amolojong. He is survived by one son and a foster daughter.
WHERE does one find words to tell the life and works of Austin Ejiet, a towering intellectual? For Eijet (author, newspaper columnist and educationist) was in many ways considered a master of language and communication.
He was a meticulous writer and it takes great courage to write well about him.
He started feeling unwell in July last year. Several medical tests carried out in Nairobi and Mulago hospitals revealed he had cancer of the liver, which eventually killed him on January 3.
Looks are deceptive as Ejiet’s physical stature confirms. He was a tall man who appeared capable of pouncing on anyone who crossed his way. However, Ejiet was humble, perceptive and respected people.
His character was shaped right from childhood. His father, Daniel Akol, was a teacher and a disciplinarian. It goes without a doubt that Ejiet was like his father.
He spent time at Nagongera Seminary which further shaped his character into a humble disciplined introvert. In his quiet manner, he turned to the pen.
“Ejiet dedicated his life to education and writing. He lectured for 34 years. To us, the family members, he remained quiet but we noticed that he was intelligent,†says Nicholas Ijoot, his uncle.
Jonathan Angura, his cousin, remembers him as a very reserved boy and genius during his primary school days.
“The late had two children, a boy and a girl,†he says. The daughter died during the Teso insurgency and the son is a student at Uganda Christian University, Mukono. His wife Hellen Asio died in July 1985.
“Our mother died when father was still young. However, he did not remarry because he loved our mother so much,†says Pauline Atai, his foster daughter.
Education background
Ejiet was taught by highly regarded educationists like Austin Bukenya and Arthur Gakwandi. He gave back fairly and has taught revered lecturers like Dr. Susan Kiguli of Makerere University’s Literature Department.
Bukenya says:“I taught Austin in his undergraduate days at Makerere University between 1975 and 1978. He was diligent, organised but also brilliant. His consistent good performance earned him a first class degree (probably the first in the department). In 1974, he was the best arts student in A’ Level.â€
Bukenya says Ejiet was a great satirist.
“Ejiet was good at mentoring students,†says Kiguli. He was a man with a big brain who never carried lecture notes to class. Kiguli vividly remembers a lecture when Ejiet entered the class and taught without looking at any notes.
After the lecture, Kiguli ran off to the library to cross-check on the facts which were true to the dot. She says Ejiet was a very strong satirist because he was concerned about justice. “He was very perceptive, meticulous, honest, reliable and had a quick mind,†she says of Ejiet.
From then on, he remained at the university in different capacities. In the early 1990s, he was appointed head of the department, making him a boss of his former lecturer, Prof. Bukenya.
“He left the department under a lot of disappointment and wrangling,†says Bukenya. “He was not comfortable with the university’s mechanised approach to academics, especially literature which is about involvement and genuine response.â€
Makerere left him with a change of name. He had been baptised Augustine but because of the “Englishness†of the department then, it was changed to Austin.
His mark is still evident at Makerere. He started the creative writing course and founded the Mass Communication Department. Ejiet was also helpful in raising the bar of FEMRITE publications, helped in translating the Uganda Constitution into Ateso, wrote several text books on the current school curricular and his last short story anthology was Aida, Hurray for Sommo and Other Short stories.
He later worked at Nkumba University. By the time of his death, he was the dean of the Faculty of Humanities at Kampala International University.
Ejiet was the third-born of eight. He was born on May 13, 1951 to Daniel Akol and Martha Amolojong. He is survived by one son and a foster daughter.