By Steven Nabieu Rogers, USA
Professor Septimus Moiwo Kaikai, the erstwhile erudite, charming and highly eloquent former spokesman for Sierra Leone’s late President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah died on Thursday, December 1, 2022 in Maryland, USA. He was 81.
For many Sierra Leoneans who lived through the troubled Kabbah presidency in the 1990s, Professor Kaikai was a household name. Fresh from academia in the United States, Kaikai swiftly settled into his new role as presidential Spokesman, in a war torn political theatre, often fielding more questions about the president’s whereabouts than anything else. His unmistakable calm voice represented tranquility during a chaotic and tragic political period in Sierra Leone. He was a constant voice of reassurance of the regime’s survival in the midst of constant threats and overthrows by rebel forces and a rogue military. He quickly assumed the responsibility of calming a restive nation as the security situation deteriorated, often assuring citizens that the president was still in charge. That was how he famously coined the phrase “my president, your president, our president” to reemphasize that point. For many young people who listened to him speak, Professor Kaikai represented a generation that was truly committed to returning Sierra Leone to democratic principles.
Kaikai was not a normal politician. He was recruited by the former first lady Mrs Patricia Kabbah. His long friendship with the late president’s wife convinced the first lady that her husband’s government and the country would benefit immensely from an eloquent, well polished, articulate, and distinguished gentleman. And he did not disappoint. He immediately constituted the President’s Weekly Briefing aiming to keep journalists abreast on the president’s daily activities. Even as the rebels unleashed their widespread terror campaign by hacking off limbs, Kaikai often maintained a calm demeanor in interviews to minimize panic from the public. He later served as Minister of Information and Broadcasting until the end of the Kabbah presidency in 2007, before he was appointed Chair of the Board of Directors of the newly incorporated Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation by President Ernest Bai Koroma.
Before Kaikai returned to Sierra Leone in 1997, he was a tenured Professor of Economics and Chair of the Business School of Catonsville Community College, in Maryland, USA. According to the Baltimore Sun, at the time of his departure to Sierra Leone, he had such an ‘unblemished record’ that even when he suddenly quit his job, the university kept his position vacant for an unusually long time “ to protect Kaikai as a valued employee”. Unfortunately for the university, he never returned. In addition to his teaching job, he was also an active member of the Sierra Leone diaspora. During the wars in Sierra Leone and Liberia, Kaikai testified before the United States Congress Sub-Committee on Africa, making a strong case against President Charles Taylor of Liberia. His advocacy contributed to the demise of Taylor’s regime through sanctions. Charles Taylor was eventually convicted by the UN backed Special Court for Sierra Leone and is currently serving prison terms.
Professor Kaikai emigrated to the United States of America in 1964 and attended Morgan State University on a soccer scholarship. In 1968, he won the “Most Valuable Player” award during his senior year before heading to Howard University for graduate studies. He hailed from both Kailahun and Pujehun districts and was the first of many children of the late Pa Maya Kaikai who was an illustrious businessman in Kailahun. While there have been several worthy presidential spokespersons since Kaikai left politics, his larger than life character and crispy golden voice which padded an otherwise troubled political landscape makes him perhaps the most notable. With his passing, Sierra Leone lost a national icon. May his soul rest in peace.
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