English: The Late Sheikh Ahmed Nabhany

Sheikh Nabhany was born on November 27, 1927, in Mombasa, he attended a local Islamic school in Lamu. He is highly regarded as a Kishwahili poet and scholar, he studied Islam in Lamu and learnt poetry from his grandmother, Amina Abubakar Sheikh. Sheikh Nabhany is a self-trained scholar who has assisted many academics in their research and worked through various fields of Swahili cultural knowledge. Prof Nabhany was the brain behind the establishment of the National Museum of Kenya and operated the Research Institute of Kiswahili Studies of Eastern Africa. He spent most of his time at the institution offering Kiswahili language lessons to beginners, focusing on developing their speaking, listening, reading and writing skills. He taught many Kiswahili students from several European universities who frequently his residence in the old town while undertaking their research and theses. Prof Nabhany was a strong defender of the language and called local radio stations and journalists to offer his guidance on using the right words, especially in technology. In 1967 he took part in the collection and recording of Swahili and Arabic Manuscripts for the University of Dar es Salaam, Prof also inherited his vast Kiswahili knowledge from his grandmother. In 1993, he worked on Islamic manuscripts with Dr David Sperling in Lamu, Pate and Siyu. Professor Nabhany contributed to the development of the Kiswahili language and was a visiting professor at universities in the US and German, among other countries. He was a recipient of the presidential order of Golden Warriors and also worked at Hamburg University in German, translating Swahili/Arab Manuscripts to Roman Scripts. He has written many Kiswahili poem books such as Sambo ya Kiwandeo The Ship of Lamu-Island, Umbuji wa Kiwandeo, Umbuji wa Mnazi and many more that are preserved at Lamu Fort Museum Library. Professor Nadhany died at 90 years in 2020 in his house in Matondoni village in Lamu Island, he leaves behind a widow and three children.

Professor Nabhany was a great man who contributed a lot to the growth of Swahili, not only in Kenya but also in East Africa and the world in general.