Honoring Kwezi Kennedy Mngqibisa – A Life of Service, Brotherhood, and African Solidarity

Brothers and sisters, distinguished colleagues, and friends, We gather here today with heavy hearts to honour the life, the work, and the spirit of our dear brother, Kwezi Kennedy Mngqibisa. On the 1st of December, I received the news from my sister, Martha Kiiza Bakwesegha, that Kwezi had been recalled to higher office on the 27th of November 2025. In that moment, I felt what we call in Kirundi Agahinda—a deep, quiet, overwhelming sadness. Today, we share that sorrow.But we also share gratitude for having known him.

A Meeting That Became a Lifelong Brotherhood

I first met Kwezi in 2008, in Nairobi, during a turning point in my life. I had just returned to Africa after 19 years in the United States, preparing to join the African Union Mission in Somalia. I was uncertain. I was hesitant. Then, one morning, I walked into a meeting with a team from ACCORD, and there he was—Kwezi. From the very first moment, it was clear that he was someone special. He had a warm smile, an infectious energy, and a profound love for Africa. His first question to me was simple: “My Chief, where are you from?” And that was the beginning of a friendship that would shape my journey, my work, and my understanding of our continent.

Kwezi, the Teacher

Kwezi introduced me to some of the great Pan-African minds of our time. He challenged me. He pushed me to think deeper. One evening, over a meal at Furusato in Nairobi, he gave me a lesson I have carried ever since. He spoke about Ubuntu—the Southern African philosophy of our shared humanity. He said: “A true Pan-Africanist must have moral clarity…a deep commitment to unity, dignity, and liberation…and the belief that African solidarity can transform our future.” Then he looked at me and said: “My Chief, in the end, our only tribe is our common humanity.” This was Kwezi: a thinker, a mentor, a bridge-builder, a man whose sense of humanity went beyond borders.

A Life of Service

Together, we worked in some of the most difficult places on the continent in Somalia, the Great Lakes region, CAR, Libya, South Sudan—always side by side, always aligned in purpose. In Mogadishu, we witnessed both the darkness and the light of humanity. But through it all, Kwezi remained: steady, courageous, full of humour, and full of heart. He understood conflict, but he also understood people. He understood the power of dialogue, of listening, of dignity.

Our Last Conversation

On the 17th of November, just days before his passing, Kwezi called me. He told me he wanted to be part of the AU-led mediation efforts in eastern DRC. We spoke with hope. We spoke with purpose. He sent his expression of interest, and I forwarded it. I truly believed—and I still believe—that he would have played a vital role. But God had other plans.

Our Loss, Our Responsibility

The year 2025 has been difficult for many of us. But losing Kwezi has left a particularly deep wound. He left us at a moment when we needed his voice, his wisdom, his moral clarity,and his powerful belief in African solidarity. Yet even in his absence, he leaves us with a responsibility: to embody the values he lived for.

By Amb Frederic Gateretse-Ngoga

Frederic Gateretse-Ngoga (born 23 July 1979) is a Burundian diplomat who is currently the senior advisor on international partnerships, the AU Border Program, and regional security mechanisms in the office of the Commissioner for Political Affairs and Peace and Security of the African Union Commission. He was appointed on 16 April 2014 as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Burundi.

Who was Kwezi Mngqibisa 

Kwezi Mngqibisa joined represented ACCORD and participated in forums discussing peacekeeping issues both regionally and elsewhere. His area of interest was civilian peacekeeping, in general, and CIMIC, in particular. His activities included training in conflict management for peacekeepers and making presentations on peacekeeping and conflict management issues. Mr Mngqibisa studied at the University of the Western Cape and the Rand Afrikaans University. He holds a Bachelor of Administration degree, majoring in Public Administration and Political Science. He will be remembered by many…