10 Beautiful Things About Ahmed Darwesh That Will Make Us Tearfully Miss Him For A Long Long Time. R.I.P.

Ahmed Dharwesh,as we all know by now,has left us. It was a sudden,utterly unbelievable death. Prior to his shock passing,he didn’t exhibit any signs of a struggle with life,nothing about him betrayed his deteriorating health,nothing about his boy or walk or smile prepared us for his passing. He just left. With no warning,no sign,no farewell. No goodbye. It was sudden and shocking. And that’s what made it even harder to believe…

Ahmed was one of KTN’s most acclaimed Swahili News Anchors. He’d worked at KTN for ages,mentoring and nurturing many,entertaining and informing many,enlightening and impressing many.

Twitter exploded with the shocking news yesterday and after one too many people had asked me whether or was true via WhatsApp,I sat up and texted Betty Kyalo quickly. And she said to me,yes,he was no more.

And just like the rest of the Country,shock gripped me. And alot alot of sadness too. We didn’t want him to go. Not so soon. Not that abruptly. But really,God’s plans are the Best. And we accepted the call grudgingly.

And there are 10 things,10 uniquely Darwesh things that will make us miss him terribly. And never forget he ever existed. Or lived amongst us.

1. Smile
Nobody on television,male of female,had a warmer smile than Mr. Ahmed Dharwesh. His smile,on and off TV,was sincere,infectious,bold,inviting and consoling. He’d start his telecast with that signature smile… The smile that made you want to sit around and watch him read the news. He made us all feel at home with that smile,a genuine smile that illuminated his face and lit up our living rooms. Even off television,Ahmed’s smile never faded. Anytime I met him along the corridors of The Standard Group Offices,or by the car park or even in the cafeteria,he wore a smile. Ahmed would greet you with a smile. And you’d automatically smile back. He won us over with that simple yet powerful smile. Sweet yet potent smile. One of his greatest trademarks.

2. Swahili Proficiency
Few would rival Ahmed’s prowess at the Swahili language. In all of his bulletins,one thing that sorely stood out is his beautiful dexterity in the language of the Coastal people. He was on it. Spoke it like a pro… With all the words in the right place,perfect intonation,perfect diction and perfect terminologies. He was the Swahili master. You wouldn’t beat him at that. And he made that very clear in the beautiful manner he’d take on the language. And read the news with so much ease and unrivaled adroitness. He was the language. He lived the language.

3. Humility
I know many TV presenters. Oh,very many. And I believe that I can say this unequivocally ; Ahmed was one of the humblest souls tat ever graced our TV screens. Unlike many a Kenyan TV presenters,who are caught up in vain self-glorification and a stupid bloated ego,many a Kenyan TV stars who would rather not talk to the regular folks or even say a simple hello along the streets,Ahmed’s humility spoke for himself. He was as down-to-earth as you can possibly be. He was Television’s Francis of Assisi. Always kind and polite. Warm and inviting. Calm and unassuming. He carried himself with much dignity and yet unbelievable humility. One of a kind.

4. Good Manners
You wouldn’t find Ahmed on blogs every morning,caught up in some drama or involved in some crazy story. You wouldn’t even know he existed. He almost always carried himself with utmost self-respect. Not appearing on gossip pages and definitely not a fan of rowdy events. He’d sit back and let the World pass him by. He wouldn’t be in your face starting social media wars,he was hard to incense you,he never once was caught up in a media scandal. And we never once learned of his crazy romantic escapades. He was a gentleman. And died like one.

5. Stoicism
No one knew Ahmed even had Diabetes. Maybe just his family and closest friends. He didn’t sensationalize his ailment or even make such a big deal out of it. He kept his struggle to himself,not making it public or even seeking to gather attention to himself through it. No one could tell he had Diabetes. He never once walked,talked or looked like he was battling the deadly disease. He walked like a healthy man. And dispensed all his duties with ultimate dedication,while still fighting a medical nightmare. And affording to smile through it all. Absolute stoicism.

6. His Obsession With Neck Ties
Way back in January 2014,Mr. Dharwesh revealed to the media that he was obsessed with neck ties. He also revealed that he had over 500 neckties at his home. He was an avid lover of ties and he’s collect them anytime and every time. Even his wife started telling him to quit buying ties since he’d run out of space to keep them. Ahmed further revealed that his cheapest tie cost him around Ksh. 500 and his most expensive tie set him back some Ksh. 5,000. He’d buy ties allover…. From Gikomba to Eastleigh to Dubai and the U.K. He was a dedicated tie aficionado. And we’re lucky we all got to see him wear almost each one of them on Television.

7. Friendliness
Anyone who met Ahmed Dharwesh will tell you what a great friend he’d make once you got to know him. He was friendly even to strangers,never forgetting to say a hi to them,smile at them have a little impromptu conversation with them. He was never snobbish or too busy to invite you into his soul… Into his heart,and let you dine with him. And laugh with him. He was the easiest going man on television. Always ready for a chat. Even a hookup. Larry Madowo did a little tribute on Facebook explaining just how no one could befriend you as perfectly as Ahmed could. And it was spot on. You can read it HERE. He was the friendliest soul you’d ever met. And he did it with incredible ease.

8. Business Acumen
What many didn’t know about this man was his smart business skills. Ahmed,besides hosting TV,also was a brilliant business man who had restaurant chains serving Swahili dishes allover Nairobi and the Coast. He even has-and left behind-a small kiosk cum restaurant inside Standard Group from where he’d stock and sell cookies,Swahili dishes,junk foods and crisps and fruits and juices. He was an excellent business man. And you wouldn’t even know it. He kept that side of himself to himself. But the fruits of his blossoming food businesses would be reflected on him. And the gigantic car he used to drive.

9. Dedicated Family Man
We didn’t know much about his wife and kids. Or about his marriage but one thing is for sure,Ahmed was 101% committed to his lovely family. He’d talk about them glowingly on interviews. And he’d shield them strongly from the public… Preferring to keep them to himself and not necessarily flossing them around and make his family a huge social media spectacle. He made it known a million times what a lovely wife he had. And never wasted a chance to pay glowing tribute to her and her gorgeousness. Also speaking fondly of his children. He was a family man. Extraordinaire.

10. His Staunch Faith And Respect Of Other Faiths
Despite the fact that he was himself a Muslim,many of Darwesh’s friends were actually Christians. He treated all people as equals,never judging or ostracizing others based on the faith. He was also a Staunch Muslim who totally loved and was a committed to his religion. He’d numerously show up at KTN dressed in a kanzu. Even go on air in it reminding the viewers of his religious background and how unashamedly committed to it he was. And despite that,he never once locked anyone out. He welcomed all and made all feel at home… Religious identities notwithstanding.

Truly truly,he’ll be sorely missed.
Let me borrow from my Muslim friends and say,Innah lilah wa inna ilayhi rajiun.