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News anchor Victoria Rubadiri eulogizes her late grandfather

By HILARY KIMUYU September 16th, 2018 2 min read

Former NTV news anchor Victoria Rubadiri has eulogized his grandfather Prof David Rubadiri, who died on Saturday after a long illness, with a touching tribute message.

The late Prof Rubadiri, a former University of Malawi Vice Chancellor, poet and academician who was famous for his memorable literary works such as Poems from East Africa and Stanley Meets Mutesa among others.

In her tribute, Victoria wrote that she is proud of the legacy of the university don saying she will continue to carry his name with pride.

Illness had seen the 88-year-old poet, playwright and novelist travel to Nairobi on several occasions for treatment.

Born in 1930, his father served as a District Officer while his mother was a homemaker who took care of the children as his father worked across the border in Tanzania.

In an interview with Saturday Nation in 2013, Prof Rubadiri said that he was living out his retirement in a “small two-acre plot with what he described as a simple house” with his first wife Gertrude.

RUBADIRI’S FAMILY

He married Gertrude – a teacher – in 1957 before taking the second wife Janet in 1955 – a Ugandan nurse of Rwandese origin.

The marriage with Gertrude bore four sons Kwame, Sékou, Tengo, Lunga and a daughter Lindiwe. With Janet, he was also blessed with four other children; son Desiré and daughters Natasha, Inga, and Linka.

Regarded as one of Africa’s most celebrated poets to emerge after Malawi’s independence, Rubadiri has left behind an enviable legacy and innumerable grandchildren scattered across the globe.