UoN Mourns Prof. John Habwe
The University of Nairobi community is mourning the loss of Prof. John Habwe. Prof. Habwe has served the University for over three decades. He was a great resource, a talented writer, an innovative mind who has mentored many.
Read this tribute that has been written by the Prof. Iribe Mwangi, the Chair, Department of Kiswahili.
It is with a heavy heart that I announce the demise of a senior member of staff, Professor John Hamu Habwe early this morning (August 18, 2025). Prof. Habwe was the founding Chairman of the Department of Kiswahili between 2013 and 2016. Before that, he was the Chairman of the Department of Linguistics and Languages between 2011 to 2013.
Born on December 12, 1962, Prof Habwe’s career at the university spanned close to four decades of teaching, writing, and scholarship. He earned his Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate degrees at the University of Nairobi, rising through the ranks from tutorial fellow in 1989 to Full Professor in 2023.
The department of Kiswahili, the University and Kiswahili world in general has really lost. He was a great teacher for about 37 years. Personally, he taught me from first year undergraduate and was the 1st supervisor for my PhD. He preceded me as a chairman of this great department and I consulted him a lot on various issues. He gave me guidance on many issues as I navigated university bureaucracy as a young administrator. I will forever be grateful to him. I mourn him as a great mentor, linguist and creative writer. He has left a rich treasure which includes linguistic text books, articles, conference proceedings, book chapters, literary works and a dictionary. Prof. Habwe was mostly known for his creative works, but he was actually a linguist specializing in Pragmatics and Discourse Analysis. Most of his academic publication are in this area of study.
Prof. Habwe has been ailing for some time and I take this opportunity to thank the University for timely settlement of his enormous hospital bills.
May Prof. John Hamu Habwe rest in eternal peace.
