How 1966 Coup Disrupted Gamal Nkrumah’s Life – Samia and Sekou Recount

The 1966 military coup that overthrew Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, had a profound impact on the life of his son, Gamal Gorkeh Nkrumah, disrupting his education and forcing him to spend much of his early life away from his home country.

Gamal’s siblings, Samia and Sekou Nkrumah, have recounted some of the difficulties he experienced following the overthrow of their father’s government on February 24, 1966, which forced the family into exile.

The coup brought an abrupt end to Kwame Nkrumah’s presidency while he was outside Ghana on an official trip. Following the change of government, the former president remained in exile, and his family also had to adjust to life away from Ghana.

Gamal spent a significant part of his childhood in Egypt, where the family found refuge. His life was consequently shaped by the political circumstances surrounding his father’s removal from power and the challenges of growing up away from his birthplace.

According to accounts shared by his siblings, the family eventually returned to Ghana in 1975 after receiving an invitation from the government of then Head of State, General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong.

However, returning to Ghana did not immediately restore the stability Gamal needed to continue his education.

Sekou recalled that Gamal enrolled in a boarding school after the family’s return but developed serious health problems after approximately two months. He reportedly suffered a nervous breakdown, which affected his ability to continue his studies.

The difficulties also affected his academic progress. Gamal and his brother Samuel were reportedly moved from Form Five to Form Four as they struggled to adjust to the educational environment and challenges they encountered.

Gamal later attended A-Grid, but his health difficulties reportedly continued, making it increasingly difficult for him to pursue his education without interruptions.

His experiences reflected the wider consequences of the political upheaval that had separated the Nkrumah family from Ghana and disrupted the normal course of their lives.

Gamal eventually moved to Harare, Zimbabwe, where he secured an opportunity to work at the Institute of Development Studies through the intervention of Sally Mugabe, the wife of former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe.

He later spent much of his life in Egypt, where he developed a career in journalism and became associated with Al-Ahram Weekly, a prominent Egyptian publication.

Born in Accra in 1958 to Dr Kwame Nkrumah and his Egyptian wife, Fathia, Gamal built a professional reputation as a journalist, writer and intellectual. His work focused on African and international affairs, and he spent more than three decades associated with Al-Ahram Weekly.

He died in Cairo on October 14, 2026, at the age of 68, following a prolonged illness. His burial was conducted in accordance with Islamic traditions.

Following his death, Samia and Sekou expressed appreciation to the governments of Ghana and Egypt for the support extended to the family during his hospitalisation and burial arrangements.

The Convention People’s Party (CPP) also paid a condolence visit to the Nkrumah family. The delegation, led by Comrade Chris Ziga, conveyed the party’s sympathies and pledged support towards Gamal’s final funeral rites in Ghana.

The accounts shared by his siblings have brought renewed attention to the personal consequences of the 1966 coup, showing how the political events that changed Ghana’s history also affected the education, health and personal lives of members of the Nkrumah family.

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