Malcolm Kennedy, 1933 - 2026
Malcolm Kennedy died on Saturday at his care home in Faro, Portugal. He was 93 and had been ailing for some time after a series of falls. Jenny, his wife, died of cancer some years ago, Malcolm providing her with end of life care which took its toll on him, as he freely shared. Their three children, Alistair, Duncan and Fiona all live in the UK. They will let us know in due course what arrangements are being made for his funeral. Malcolm avoided ceremony, so It is likely to be a small family affair.
I was in regular touch with Malcom until October last year when he was still lucid and clear with remarkable recall of people, places and events. His great sense of the comical in life and extraordinarily detailed recounting of his time with Unicef in India, Somalia and Nepal, stay with me, especially his arguments over technology choice in the early stages of the India water programme and, with much hilarity and some residual irritation, his telling of the more nefarious episodes that occured and the cast of characters he encountered in his Unicef career.
Malcolm Kennedy was Unicef's first Water Chief (sanitaion came later). In 1968, he was recruited by Gordon Carter, Regional Director, ROSA, to set up and manage Unicef support to India's nascent drinking water programnme for which specialised drilling equipment was to be purchased. His dogged and successful insistance on the procurement of super-fast down the hole hammer drill rigs for the hard crystalline rock formations of southern peninsular India rather than the conventional and slow cable percussion and top hammer rigs, as strenuously pushed by NYHQ, and the battles that ensued between them, was critical to the direction of travel for India's 'indigenisation' of drilling equipment. But all of that for another time. Suffice to say, Malcolm was vindicated in his choice of technology as evidenced today by the expansion of India's rural water supply programme, rapid development of its now all-powerful manufacturing base, self sufficiency in drillling equipment and export market. Some legacy !
RIP MRK
Malcolm Kennedy, 1933 - 2026
This is very sad news indeed. Malcolm was really a founder of what we now call the WASH community and what we know as Watsan. He was far too modest to have accepted that acclaim, but his pioneering paved the way for all of us. So it is not just the thousands of communities in India that benefited, but thousands across the world from the knock-on effect of his work and that of the other early pioneers.
ReplyDeleteMalcolm was my first Rep in UNICEF in Nepal. He brought his experience to Nepal in unique ways. Of course he was 100% behind us in the WES programme, mostly gravity systems in the hills, and later shallow well hand pumps in the Terai. But under his gentle leadership UNICEF Nepal also became something of a pioneer in health and education, especially in mountain communities, reaching into remote areas. He often accompanied his programme officers to remote areas, setting off by plane to a distant airfield from where we would trek for days visiting project villages. Malcolm gave me the best possible start in my career in UNICEF, and many of his team, nationals and internationals, went on to significant roles in UNICEF and other agencies.
After his retirement we visited him in Skye aboard a sailing boat we had chartered during home leave from Uganda. He and Jenny came aboard one evening and to my shame I had forgotten how much rise and fall of tide there can be in the Hebrides and I had not let out enough anchor chain! Malcolm and Jenny calmly carried on sipping wine in the cockpit while the rest of us frantically let out more chain before being blown ashore. A sign that Malcolm continued to have confidence in his staff despite the evidence! Many years later, when we were also retired, we sailed up the Rio Guadiana in Portugal and visited them nearby, making sure we had plenty of chain out!
Thank you, Malcolm. Goodbye for now, and pheri vetau'ula.
Thank you Colin, this is much appreciated. Malcolm is one of those rare folk who lived a full and interesting life on his own terms. A life well lived. Can't ask for more. Best wishes, Alistair Kennedy
ReplyDeleteI joined UNICEF Nepal with Malcolm as the Representative. His very approachable and no-nonsense style of management is the biggest lesson for me. Staff often run on to him in the office corridors as he was like a walking representative with hands on whenever needed from the driver’s room to the programme coordinator’s (today’s deputy) room. Monday morning’s tea time will always be remembered by many for his sense of humour. He was also known for his brevity – if I ask you what time, just tell me the time, not the history of the watch. Malcolm was/is an idol for me. May his soul rest in peace.
ReplyDeleteThank you Ramesh, love the history of the watch comment! All the best. Alistair Kennedy
DeleteHe was my first Representative when I joined Nepal in Dec 1979. I remember being interviewed by Malcolm, Head of Health Section and Head of WATSAN. After the interview they asked me to have the tea in the waiting room. By the time I finished the tea, I had the appointment letter asking me to join the training programme requiring me to fly next day at 8 AM. It was the most speedy recruitment I have ever known. That was his style of work! Rest in Peace Malcolm!
DeleteLovely guy. One of the very best.
ReplyDelete