The Club of Scholars

Abstract

In congratulating PhD graduates, Ohio University President Charles Ping used to say, “Welcome to the Club of Scholars”. It is an exclusive club for interacting with intellectual ‘elders’ in various club houses called universities. Not all those admitted, however, remain active members. Club houses and ‘elders’ in Kenya in the 1980s were limited. ‘Elders’ at the Department of History in the Nairobi University included Gideon Were, Godfrey Muriuki, Idha Salim, Karim Jan Mohamed, Yusuf Nzibo, Vincent Simiyu, and E.S. Atieno Odhiambo. These, and other, ‘elders’ tended to think of new and youngish lecturers as what Atieno Odhiambo called academic ‘house boys’. Atieno had big curiosity, wondered what I was intellectually up to, shared thoughts and writings, and gave good advice on handling Africanists.