Gamal Gorkeh Nkrumah, son of Ghana’s first president, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, has passed away in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, after a prolonged illness.  This information was made known by his family in a statement on Thursday, October 15.

Part of the statement read, “It is with profound sadness that the Nkrumah family announces the passing of Gamal Gorkeh Nkrumah”.

Gamal Gorkeh Nkrumah was the eldest son of Ghana’s first President, Kwame Nkrumah, and his Egyptian wife, Fathia. Born in Accra in 1958. He was named after Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser, reflecting the close Ghana–Egypt ties of that era.

After the 1966 coup that ousted his father, Gamal and his siblings moved to Cairo with their mother, where they were supported by Nasser.He pursued higher education in London at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), earning a doctorate in political science.

His career was largely shaped in Egypt, where he became a prominent journalist and editor at Al-Ahram Weekly, working there for more than three decades. His writings focused on African politics, Pan-Africanism, and Middle East relations, and he also taught development and economics in Zimbabwe before settling permanently in Cairo.

Mr Gamal was known for his intellectual curiosity, independent thought, and commitment to justice, dignity, and African unity. His work carried forward his father’s Pan-African ideals, while also reflecting the depth of Egyptian–African ties.

His father, Dr. Nkrumah, was born on September 21, 1909; he became Prime Minister in 1952 and later Ghana’s first President in 1960. His policies of rapid industrialisation, education expansion, and continental unity earned him admiration across Africa, though his government was overthrown in 1966.