10 Facts You Need to Know about Professor Okoth Okombo

The Kenyan professor and author Okoth Okombo is regarded the founder of the scientific study of sign language in Africa and worked passionately to improve the opportunities in life for deaf people. His international contribution to the field of sign language is extraordinary, and he is one of the leading scholars of sign language studies in the world. In recognition of his accomplishments, this exhibit celebrates his life and legacy.

As a member of the Suba tribe raised during a time of British colonial rule, Okombo witnessed firsthand how the elevation of the English language eroded his ethnic identity by pushing his mother tongue of Olusuba to near extinction. The young Okombo would help his grandfather look after his cattle and they would spend hours talking about their Luo heritage. This inspired Okombo’s lifelong mission to preserve indigenous African heritage. 

Okombo attended Kaswanga SDA Primary School and Mbita High School in the Homa Bay County. He caught an interest in languages at an early age and wanted to pursue a career as a teacher. 

Over six feet tall, Okombo was an avid Volleyball player while studying at Kenyatta College from 1971 – 1974. He stopped playing after an injury to a teammate and instead focused on obtaining his Secondary Teachers Certificate. 

Okombo founded the Kenyan Sign Language Research Project at the University of Nairobi, and published over 30 scientific publications on the structure, vocabulary, and sociological properties of the language of deaf Kenyans. As a result, Kenyan Sign Language (KSL) was implemented in schools, hospitals, courtrooms, churches and the media. Okombo implemented similar projects in Uganda, Tanzania, Swaziland, and South Africa.

He served as Chairman of the Department of Linguistics and Literature, and later became Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Nairobi. It was here he pioneered field of the Nilotic language, including Dholuo, of the Luo community of Kenya and Tanzania. 

Okombo furthered the research and reach of indigenous African languages. Working with UNESCO and government institutions, he was involved in creating guidelines on language policy in Africa. He was also part of developing the formulation of a national language policy for Malawi.

Okombo was a great dancer and loved rhumba music. He said dancing was good for building confidence and breaking the ice when meeting new people. He would often dance on his own to lift his spirits. He was a member of the Kwanza Toastmasters and received several awards for his witty humour. 

Okombo proudly took this photograph of his three children Brian, Farica and Gillian posing next to his car. Okombo loved classic European cars. He owned only one car all his life which was a white 1973 Peugeot 504 saloon car (KLB 868).