(From left to right) Frank Odoi, Daryl Cagle and Tanzanian cartoonist Popa in Algeria.

Africa has lost one of its best cartoonists and comic artists. Frank Odoi, who was born in Ghana (but made his home Kenya from 1979), died in a minibus accident in Kenya.

Frank’s drawings did not only show characters from Ghana or Kenya, but represented Africa very well internationally. He will be remembered for the many cartoons he drew, the many cultural festivals he participated in across Europe and Africa, and the comic books he published, including the popular Akokhan comic book series.

He was also one of the first cartoonists to be given a daily slot in Kenya’s number one newspaper, Daily Nation. He also drew cartoons and commissioned works for the BBC World Service, who incidentally called me to break the sad news.

Here are some of Frank’s cartoons:

When George Zimmerman easily killed African-American teenager Trayvon Martin in Florida, it showed me how a life could be taken for granted. Many are being killed unnecessarily around the world. Men, women and children. To many, life means nothing. Leaders kill their own people and people kill their own people.

The future is being robbed of great men and women. To take a life is not recipe for solution. This Postcards from Killing Fields cartoon illustrates my deep thinking: