Nairobi, March 8 -- Veteran publisher Henry Chakava has died, his family has confirmed.

Dr Chakava died at 5am Friday at a hospital in Nairobi.

Dr Chakava is widely regarded as the father of publishing in Kenya and Africa as a whole, having pioneered a publishing industry that was dominated by foreigners.

He is associated with the publishing of iconic literary luminaries in Africa such as Ngugi wa Thiong'o, Grace Ogot, Francis Imbuga, John Kiriamiti, Meja Mwangi, Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye (all from Kenya), Chinua Achebe, Cyprian Ekwensi (Nigeria), Taban lo Liyong (South Sudan), Okot P'Bitek, John Ruganda (Uganda), David Rubadiri (Malawi), Peter Abrahams (South Africa), and many others.

They were published under the Africa Writers Series...