The phrase, we stand on the shoulders of giants, aptly captures the story of celebrated NTV anchor Victoria Rubadiri.
Unknown to many, Victoria comes from a lineage of overachievers with relatives spread across in Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, and in the US.
Her grandfather, is Malawian world-renowned poet, scholar, and novelist James David Rubadiri. David is regarded as one of Africa's most celebrated poets to emerge after independence.
Born in 1930, David went to school in Makerere University, Uganda, before returning to Malawi where he was appointed his country’s first ambassador to the United States.
At Makerere, his schoolmates are some of East Africa’s most prominent leaders.
“Studying economics at Makerere was Kenya’s future president Mwai Kibaki; he was a year-mate of mine and we were great buddies and very close. Tanzanian former president Benjamin Mkapa was also to join Makerere, albeit much later than us,” the elder Rubadiri stated in a recent interview with the Daily Nation.
The poet-cum-diplomat later fell out with Malawi’s President Hastings Banda and went to exile in Uganda where he taught literature at Makerere.
David would also fall out with the Idi Amin regime and was again sent to exile, upon which he found a new home in Kenya.
He taught at the University of Nairobi before serving as a member of the executive committee of the Kenya National Theatre.
The veteran playwright is now retired and lives in a small town in Malawi.
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