Bethwell Ogot

Bethwell Allan Ogot (born 1929) is a historian from Kenya. He specialises in African history, research methods and theory. One of his works starts by saying that "to tell the story of a past so as to portray an inevitable destiny is, for humankind, a need as universal as tool-making. To that extent, we may say that a human being is, by nature, historicus.

He was the Chancellor of Moi Universityup to early 2013.

Ogot, a Kenyan Luo, was born in Gem Location of Siaya County of Kenya. In 1959 he married the late Grace Emily Akinyi, a politician, writer and health specialist. She eventually served the government of Kenya as an Assistant Minister for Culture and Social Services.

He was educated at Ambira, Maseno School, Makerere University College, and the University of St Andrews and the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. While studying in London, he served as a leader of the Kenya Students Association where he assisted the Kenya nationalists, notably the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga during the 1960 negotiations at the Lancaster negotiations for Kenya's independence. He commenced his University academic and research life as lecturer at the Makerere University, and eventually Chairman of the History Department of the University College, Nairobi, currently the University of Nairobi (UoN). At the UoN he also founded and directed the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) and the Institute of African Studies (IAS). He also served as the Dean, School of Arts and Social Sciences and Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academics therein. He was the President of the International Scientific Committee for the preparation of UNESCO's General History of Africa. He edited Volume V of UNESCO's History of Africa, and presided over the committee that oversaw the production of the entire History. He was also member of the International Commission for UNESCO's History of Humanity. From the University of Nairobi, Ogot was appointed to serve as member of the East African Community (EAC) Legislative Assembly by President Jomo Kenyatta between 1975–1977. Between 1978 1980 Ogot served the International Louis Leakey Memorial Institute for African Pre-History (TILLMIAP) which was an integral part of the National Museums of Kenya (NMK)as its first director. He served Kenyatta University as Professor, and the Kenya Post and Telecommunications as chairman. He was the Chancellor of Moi University, Eldoret up to 2013. He remains Professor Emeritus of Maseno University where prior to being Chancellor of Moi University he had been the Director of Post-Graduate Studies.

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