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Meticulous wordsmith Philip Ochieng’s alluring legacy
Khakhudu Agunda
Philip Ochieng, the veteran journalist, who died on Tuesday evening, was a meticulous professional. He had an amazing grasp of the English language and enjoyed getting to the roots and origins of English words in French, German, Latin and even Dholuo. He was obsessed with the dissemination of knowledge, drawing from the rich classical times to the present. This talent apparently runs in the family, as his younger brother, Robert Otani, got out of Ochieng’s shadow to stand his own ground as a sub-editor. Paraphrasing Wole Soyinka, Ochieng would proudly declare that a pengler cannot pengle his penglitude. He sometimes called himself Pengele. He appreciated talent and was respectful. Ironically, he was a soft-spoken gentleman behind the hard-hitting articles that many remember vividly. As impeccable as his writing was, Ochieng was also a sharp dresser. He wore expensive three-piece sui ....

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