Remembering Brian Barron

He was the most tenacious, even ruthless correspondent I ever worked against.

In the 1970s Brian Barron and I chased down the grim regime of Uganda’s President Idi Amin. We also reported on Kenyatta’s funeral in Kenya, and much else beyond.

In learning of his death today from cancer, I feel one of my coordinates has gone. Barron’s excellent reporting was a yardstick to which one aspired.

He was the ultimate, objective professional.

I well remember, in one of our contests to track down some miscreant in northern Kenya, hiding under a remote café table in a grass-roofed shack. We thought we had a tip as to where our prey could be found.

With some glee we saw Barron’s Land Cruiser steaming past the open door in the wrong direction, only to emerge to find that he was right and we were wrong.

He got the interview and we didn’t.

My thoughts are with his widow and daughter.