[The writer is a Kenyan-born journalist, who worked for the Nation Media Group in the 1960s and left as a chief reporter. He now lives in Australia.]
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Independence hero and iconic Kenyan politician Tom Mboya first met American stars Harry Belafonte, Jackie Robinson and Sidney Poitier when he was co-ordinating an airlift of 81 Kenyan students to the United States.
That was the beginning of a sensational love affair between musician and activist Harry Belafonte, who died on April 25, and Africa “ especially Kenya “ which he visited as often as possible. With funds from an “African Freedom Dinner” night and with the help of Martin Luther King and other African sympathisers, Mboya was able to raise enough money to fund the airlift.
In the years that followed, Mboya continued to work with both black and white friendly Americans in the interests of Kenya and other African countries. Belafonte made his first visit to Kenya in 1963 in time for Kenya’s Uhuru celebrations. He brought with him his South African singing friend, the great Miriam Makeba.
At the celebration, President Jomo Kenyatta ensured Belafonte and Makeba had the best seats in the house, next to the Guest of Honour, the late Prince Philip. They were guests of a wonderfully outstanding Goan businessman, the late Pius Menezes. He was a representative for the American recording company, RCA.
Pius also sold a variety of audio-visual equipment (record players, amplifiers etc). He was also a celebrated Queen’s Scout and a well-known high-flying Rotarian. Pius had been instrumental in getting Belafonte and Makeba to sing at Kenya’s Uhuru celebrations and later at a special “welcome to Kenya” celebrated at the Nairobi Goan Gymkhana.
Pius also had close friendships with Chet Atkins, Jim Reeves (who used to call Pius regularly) and many others including Elvis Presley, Louis Armstrong and others.
Pius invited me to his offices (we used to meet regularly there, he was always sharing music-related tips for a story) and there was a pleasant surprise waiting for me: Belafonte. I remember we spoke for a few minutes, laughed a little and wished him well.
In his spare time, Pius used to visit schools in Nairobi and wherever else he could to show movies to young children, free of charge, of course. Thanks to Pius, I saw my first movie at the age of five or six years old.
Through UNICEF, Bellafonte was able to dedicate himself to the length and breadth of Africa. When Kenya introduced free education, he was the first to applaud.
Since the first week of tuition-free school in Kenya in January 2003, more than 1.3 children have entered school for the first time, pushing national enrolment from 5.9 million to 7.2 million, according to UNICEF.
“These children and their parents know that getting an education is not only their right, but a passport to a better future,” Belafonte said.
“Kenya's decision to abolish school fees is a shining example of just what can be achieved in the developing world by sheer political will.”
Belafonte was visiting Kenya to monitor the success of free primary education one year after school fees were abolished. Appointed as a global Goodwill Ambassador in 1987, he participated in hundreds of events and trips on behalf of UNICEF. He had urged other countries to follow Kenya’s example of free primary education.
Arguably his greatest contribution was his campaign in the battle against Aids in South Africa and later in other countries.
Being a driving force in the civil rights movement in the US, it was little wonder that he was a powerful driving force against apartheid in South Africa, or wherever he came face-to-face with it.
[Excerpts from an article ‘In Harry Belafonte, Kenya and Africa had a great friend’, first published in The Nation, Kenya]
