September 29th, 2016 will be recorded as the day of accomplishment of major milestones in my life. It is almost as if I have been reborn.
For today I launch a new channel of communication with my fellow inhabitants of this planet. I launch my blog www.yoroguyo.co.ke
With that singular event, I immortalize Africa’s foremost man of science. My teacher, mentor and friend, the late Professor Thomas Risley Odhiambo, founding Director of the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), founding President of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) and Third Word Academy of Sciences (TWAS) among many others.
The AAS has made me proud as they invited me to speak a function to launch a project to publish the biography of TRO, as we fondly called him. The world will now finally get to know of the accomplishments of this great son of Africa who was born and buried in Alego, Siaya County.
They say prophets are never acknowledged in their home villages. He died without any of the national colours or medals, though he was celebrated globally by even the Bishop of Rome!
In the month of August, 2016 AAS graciously accepted to receive from me, catalogue and store precious documents and publications by Odhiambo.
Most of these documents relate to the work we did with TRO between 1992 and 1996 at the Research and Development Forum for Science-led Development in Africa (RANDFORUM). The pack contains several videos recorded during the 3 Head of State Summits held in 1993 (Gaborone), 1994 (Maputo) and 1995 (Kampala), one of TRO’s spectacular success.
I believe that this was a most important action since it marked the beginning of making vital research material available to the academic community and public at large about this foremost scientist and Pan-Africanist. For the last decade I have pursued with vigour the publication of the achievements of TRO as way of mentoring future generations.
At long last we are doing what we knew all along that we must.