Kenneth Ejene

On November 19, 2020, Kenneth Ugojor Ejene (Idowu), passed into glory to be with the Lord after battling almost 30 years of serious medical issues. His life and passing is a testament to God’s glory as he was able to endure his various tribulations with courage and a steadfast faith in the Lord. This is not to say that life was easy for him or that he never felt fear. Quite the opposite, he certainly struggled daily, and he also expressed fear and a discontent with his various medical conditions. His courage was however apparent because he faced his fears despite statistics and various diagnosis against him.

His faith was steadfast because he publicly and privately maintained that Jesus Christ is Lord.

How then did his story begin? Kenneth Ugojor Ejene was born on August 22, 1958 in Lagos, Nigeria to Mr. Sunday and Maria Ejene. Together, Mr. and Mrs. Ejene gave birth to eight children; Aiyewunmi Christian Ejene, Kenneth U. Ejene (Idowu), Tony (Kehinde) Ejene, Godfry Ejene, Matthew Kweneojor Ejene, Anthonia Eke Ejene, Clara Ojonugha Ejene and Gloria Yyor Ejene. Prior to his marriage to Mrs. Maria Ejene, Mr. Sunday Ejene had two children: Rose and Emmanuel Ejene.

Although living in Lagos, home to various Nigerian tribes, the Ejene family is apart of the Ebu tribe which hails from Delta State, Nigeria. However, living in Lagos had a very positive influence on Kenneth U. Ejene. It exposed him to the various groups and tribes of the country to which Nigeria has over 300. He was able to not only speak his native Ebu, he also learned English, Yoruba and some Igbo; the country’s most commonly spoken languages. Every where Kenneth went, and in every crowd, Kenneth was a part of, he was known for being kind, pleasant, respectful, responsible, and generally quiet. One school he attended, Oraeze Grammar School, Onitsha-Ugbo stated that he was “very well-behaved. A successful dormitory prefect whose behavior was consistently exemplary”.

In addition to attending the Oraeze Grammar School, Kenneth also attended the Federal School of Arts and Science in Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria, and the University of Lagos State. After leaving school, Kenneth briefly worked for the Ministry of Nigerian Defense in Lagos from about 1979 until he left for the United States in the early 80’s. When he came to the United States, he was fortunately not alone. His older cousin, Emmanuel Ogun James (affectionately referred to as “Uncle” by everyone) was already living in the U.S. and was able to assist in Kenneth’s transition into a new country.

Kenneth soon became accustomed to living in the U.S. He worked various jobs while simultaneously attending school. Then as the Lord would have it, on a seemingly random day, Kenneth was returning to his apartment and noticed a gorgeous, very round-faced woman with a beautiful smile, patiently waiting against the railing, facing several apartment doors. She caught his interest and as a gentleman would, Kenneth inquired as to if she needed help and who she was waiting for. To his surprise, she was waiting for mutual friends of theirs to return home; Rosemary and Ladi Abimbola.

Soon thereafter, Kenneth and the gorgeous, very round-faced woman with a beautiful smile began a relationship. Unbeknownst to them, that relationship would yield a 35-year marriage, two sons and two grandkids. On June 29, 1985, Kenneth and Agatha married in Miramar, Florida at St. Bartholomew Catholic church. Almost a year later, tragedy struck the Ejene family with the passing of Sunday Ejene, Kenneth’s father in Nigeria. But by this time, Agatha was pregnant with who would be their first son. In January 1987, Agatha and Kenneth gave birth to their first son together, Kenneth Bamiyo Ejene. Bamiyo, meaning “rejoice with me” was given to Kenneth and Agatha from Kenneth’s mother. She told them that she chose that name because for the first time she was able to stop mourning the loss of her late husband.

As children are a blessing from the Lord, Agatha and Kenneth was expecting the birth of their second child together, Khambrel Kemona (Kema) Ejene born in June of the following year. Like their first child, Kenneth’s mother gave the couple the middle name Kemona as well, meaning “who knows tomorrow” because he was born prematurely and there was concern about possible complications moving forward. She unfortunately was unable to witness how healthy, big, tall, strong, wise, kindhearted and God fearing he would grow into as an adult, as she soon passed a year after his birth.

For Agatha, Kema would be her third child. Before meeting Kenneth, she gave birth to a son, Michael Danisa from a previous relationship. However, Kema’s birth would complete the family until he eventually fathered the first grandchild of the couple. Long before grandchildren, Kenneth experienced a great deal of life. First, Kenneth would earn his associates from Miami-Dade college and then bachelor’s from Florida Atlantic University. Kenneth finally began his career as a technician with Beckman Coulter, Inc. A position he would hold for many years thereafter until he resigned due to complications from his diabetes causing him to go blind.

These complications gave rise to many complications with Kenneth’s health over the years including numerous instances of diabetic shock (severe hypoglycemia), kidney failure and a stroke. He also suffered from Covid-19 and pneumonia not long before his passing. The sickness did not, however, define Kenneth. His faith and commitment to serving God defined him, most especially towards the end of his life. While their children were in elementary school, Kenneth chose to leave the Catholic church and joined a Pentecostal church, Christ Apostolic Church with his wife and children. Kenneth’s relationship with the Lord increased greatly. His family was very involved in the church. Their involvement in the church also brought about the beginning of many lifelong friends and family members for Kenneth and his family. Friends and family that continued to be with and support Kenneth even when their time at the church ended when his wife was called into the ministry.

As his wife Agatha was by his side and a constant support for him, Kenneth too supported her ministry and the endeavors God placed on her heart, joining her along the way in whatever capacity that he could. That journey led to several churches. About two or three years before his passing, Kenneth and Agatha made the Church of New Revelation their home. At that time, Kenneth’s relationship with the Lord was its strongest. Besides his ever-growing relationship with the Lord, Kenneth could also be defined by his devotion to his wife, children, and grandchildren. When Kenneth could work, he acquired as many hours as he could to ensure that he would be a good provider.

Kenneth’s love for sports and education, the Miami Heat and Nigerian Super Eagles in particular, rubbed off on his sons as they participated in sports their whole lives. Kenneth was active in attending his children’s sporting or school events. Kenneth’s favorite thing to watch was CNN. He taught his children that it was important to be aware of what is going on around the world and to think about these things critically and independently. Additionally, Kenneth watched a lot of Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune and family-based sitcoms with his wife, children, and grandchildren. These moments of family togetherness, along with making church and a relationship with God a priority has been the foundation to which the family is building from today.

Today, Kenneth is survived by his wife Agatha; children Michael, Bamiyo, Kema and Kema’s wife Sharronda; grandchildren, Kassidy, Ariella, and Emmanuel; his siblings, cousins, and family and friends who love and cherish him. While we grieve his passing, we are encouraged that Kenneth accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and savior, with faith and belief that Jesus Christ is Lord, so that he would not perish but have life everlasting in paradise.