Professor PLO Lumumba to be honored in America on Saturday
Popular lawyer Patrick Loch Otieno Lumumba is set to be honored this Saturday at the Lowell African Festival in Boston for his fight against corruption and bad governance in Africa.Lumumba will also deliver a speech during the annual African event that has been held since 2000.Lumumba, who recently stepped down as the director of the Kenya School of Law to pursue other interests, fought corruption with a passion during his stint in office in 2011. He was forced to quit just months after being appointed as the Director of Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission because of this.This, however, has not stopped him from fighting and has toured different parts of Africa giving key speeches of ways to end corruption in the continent.According to officials of the African Cultural Association, several nominations were received from across the African continent for various candidates suitable to receive the prestigious award established to honor Africans who have done outstanding work in addressing problems hampering better standards of living in the continent.Ben Opara, Vice President of the African Cultural Association said that since corruption has been a cancer to Africa for a long time, the board voted unanimously for Lumumba for his outstanding work and being outspoken."Upon review of the entrants, the ACA board, in recognizing that corruption and bad governance, are among the many challenges that plague our continent, voted unanimously to give the African Luminary Award to Prof. Lumumba recognizing that he has done more than most in raising awareness against corruption, tribalism and their devastating effects on Africa," said Opara.Lumumba said the recognition motivates him to keep fighting and will be excited to meet Africans in Diaspora, especially after feting him."I am humbled. The recognition gives me the energy to work for Mother Africa without loss of enthusiasm even in the face of adversities," he said before leaving Kenya for the event which will be at the Lodge of Elks hall located at 40 Old Ferry Road in Lowell, approximately 35 miles north of Boston.