Kä Mana

Godefroid Mana Kangudie (3 November 1953 – 15 July 2021), widely known by his pen name Kä Mana, was a Congolese writer, professor, and theologian. Recognized as one of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)'s most prominent philosophers, he served as President of the POLE Institute, a research center focused on conflict resolution and social transformation in Central Africa.

Kä Mana specialized in ethics and the philosophy of peace, teaching at the Université Evangélique en Afrique (UEA) in Bukavu, DRC, and later at the Université Protestante d’Afrique Centrale (UPAC) in Cameroon. A prolific author, his works—including ''Changer la République Démocratique du Congo'' ("Transforming the Democratic Republic of Congo")—addressed themes of political reform, social justice, and Pan-African thought.  

Committed to youth empowerment, Kä Mana emphasized education as a catalyst for societal change, advocating for programs to equip young Congolese with leadership and critical-thinking skills. His scholarship drew deeply from Congolese and African history, reflecting his alignment with contemporary African intellectuals such as Cheikh Anta Diop, Théophile Obenga, Achille Mbembe, and V. Y. Mudimbe, whose ideas he frequently cited.

Kä Mana died on 15 July 2021 in Goma, DRC, at age 67, from complications of COVID-19 during the global pandemic. His legacy endures through his extensive writings and influence on African philosophical discourse. Provided by Wikipedia