Literary scholars, academics and writers have paid tribute to fallen eminent thinker and poet, Okot p’Bitek for his commendable effort in championing literature in Uganda and beyond.
Okot is famous for his poetry piece ‘Song of Lawino’ which highlighted the importance of priding in African tradition and culture.
Written in 1966 as a translation of the original Acholi text ‘We Pa Lawino’, the English edition quickly appealed to audiences across Uganda and East Africa for its criticism of colonial practices that had dominated the African continent.
At the symposium organized by Makerere University a Luganda translation ‘Omulanga gwa Lawino’ was also launched.
It is authored by Makerere University scholar Prof. Abbas Kiyimba.
Speaking as a chief guest at the event, the university Vice Chancellor Prof Ddumba Sentamu appreciated Okot’s role in championing local culture by articulating the importance of traditional values.
“‘Song of Lawino’ is a landmark of work that engages audiences in critical responses. As a writer, Okot broke the domination of foreign literature in Africa and introduced Uganda to the literary scene world over,’” remarked Prof. Sentamu.
So far, the text has been translated in over 30 languages including; Spanish, German, Swedish and Kiswahili among others.
Prof. Simon Gikandi from Princeton University who delivered a keynote address praised Okot for successfully challenging his readers to critically examine the significance of traditional and modern cultures.
He mentioned that Okot had understood that contributing to debates on colonization at the time was only through law, anthropology and religion.
“The poem is distinctive and Okot uses it to transcend his own origin and influence other cultures and politics in Uganda. It is important for contemporary readers to reconstruct the content of ‘Song of Lawino’ placing it in the context in which it was written,” noted Prof. Gikandi.
Life
The legendary writer is said to have also been majorly influenced by his missionary family background as well as music.
Most of Okot’s peers were singers who had used their songs to confront colonial administration.
While a student at the then University of East Africa, Okot is acclaimed for having led a revolution in oral and written literature along with his contemporaries Chinua Achebe and Rubadiri among others.
Their works saw the eventual transformation of literature into an independent department at now Makerere University.
Okot was born in Gulu in 1931 and later died in 1982 of a stroke. Having been at odds with the government, Okot spent most of the late 60s outside Uganda.
He was a senior research fellow at the Institute of African studies, University College Nairobi from 1971.
He would return from exile in 1982 to teach creative writing at Makerere University.