Profile details
PhD (SOAS, University of London)
M.A (University of Nairobi)
B.Ed (Moi University)
Prof. Tom Olali holds a PhD in African Studies from the School of Oriental and
African Studies (SOAS), University of London, and an MA in Swahili Studies
from the University of Nairobi, Bachelor of Education degree in Kiswahili and
History from Moi University. He has taught Kiswahili for over 26 years at the
University of Nairobi where he is a Full Time Faculty member. His field of interest
is in Pre-20 th Century Swahili Islamic Manuscripts. He has taught at Hankuk
University of Foreign Studies, Republic of Korea and Tianjin Normal University,
China, as a Visiting Professor. He has published over 40 articles in International
and local journals and authored several books among these are An English
Rendition of a Classical Swahili Poetry, The Performance of a Swahili Poem
during the Maulidi Festival, Performing Arts in Lamu, Kiswahili-Kiingereza-
Kichina Grammar, Mwongozo wa Utengano, Mashetani wa Alepo, Watu wa
Gehenna, Barua ya Sumbukeni and Mafamba.
- Member, South East African Languages and Literatures (SEALLF), USA
- Member, Global Association for the Promotion of Swahili, USA
- Member, International Association of Professional Translators and Interpreters, USA
- Member, African Literature Association (ALA), USA
- Member, African Speculative Fiction Society (ASFS), USA
- Founder member, University of London Swahili Discussion Forum –POKEZANA, GREAT BRITAIN
- Member, Yale On-Line Swahili Dictionary, USA
- Board Member, Bar Kowino Secondary School, Bondo, KENYA.
- Founder Member, Research Institute of Swahili Studies of Eastern Africa(RISSEA), KENYA
- Member, CHAKITA (Chama cha Kiswahili cha Taifa), KENYA
- Member, CHAKAMA (Chama cha Kiswahili Mashariki mwa Afrika), KENYA
- Former Member, the International Council of Museums (ICOM), FRANCE
- Former Member, African Council of Museums (AFRICOM), KENYA
Research Interests
Prof.Tom Olali's field of interest is in Swahili Islamic Civilization and in particular, the Maulidi Festival which is the anniversary of the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. He has extensively researched on the Pre-20th Century Swahili Islamic ode, the Hamziyyah, which is a Swahili panegyric that plays a significant role in the religious life of the Swahili people of the Lamu archipelago on Maulidi festival. The Hamziyyah is an inter-linear translation of the Arabic Qasid, Umm-al-Qura.
In addition, Prof.Olali is a Swahili novelist and was the 2017 Winner, The Text Book Centre Jomo Kenyatta Prize for Literature (Kiswahili Adult Category) in Mashetani wa Alepo, 2013 Winner, the Jomo Kenyatta Prize for Literature(Kiswahili Adult Category) in Watu wa Gehenna, 2016 1st Runner Up Wahome Mutahi Prize for Literature (Kiswahili Adult Category) in Mafamba. His fourth novel is Barua ya Sumbukeni.
Scholary Link
CV, Email
Contacts
+254721424993