Following the announcement, by the Kenya Publishers Association, that they have increased the prize money from Sh40,000 to Sh150,000 maisha yetu is proud to announce the nominees for this year’s Jomo Kenyatta Prize for Literature. The judging panel, chaired by Prof Henry Indagasi, of the University of Nairobi, announced the list of nominees as follows: For the adult English category, the nominees are Hawecha, (Longhorn) by Rhodia Mann, Blossoms of the Savannah (Longhorn) by H.R. Ole Kulet and The Big Chiefs (EAEP) by Meja Mwangi. In the Adult Kiswahili category, the nominees are Kala Tufaha (Phoenix) by Babu Omar, Vipanya Vya Maabara (JKF) by Mwendah Mbatiah and Unaitwa Nani (Wide Muwa) by Kyalo Wamitila. Nominees in the English Youth Category are Lake of Smoke (Phoenix) by Juliet Barnes and Walk with me Angela (KLB) by Stephen Mugambi. In the Kiswahili Children’s category nominees are Ngoma za Uchawi (KLB) by Atibu Bakari, Kisasi Hapana (OUP) by Ken Walibora and Sitaki Iwe Siri (Longhorn) by Bitugi Matundura. Nominees in the Children English category are A Mule Called Christmas (Phoenix) by Nyambura Mpesha, The Prize (OUP) by Elizabeth Kabui and On the Run (OUP) by Mwaura Muigania. Winners in both adult categories will win the improved prize money of Sh150,000, while winner in the Youth and Children’s categories will each pocket Sh75,000. The winners will be announced on Saturday, September 26 at Avalon Restaurant along Riverside Drive
African culture has from time immemorial been transmitted, from one generation to the other, through the spoken word. This goes to show why the fireside stories, often told by grandmothers, occupy such a central place in the African literary setting. The study of African literature is not complete without talking about oral literature. Some of the greatest African novelists trace the roots of their prowess from the stories they were told by their grandmothers when they were growing up. Here, Chinua Achebe of the Things Fall Apart fame comes to mind. Performance literature has, over time, undergone a transformation in tune with modern trends. Still, this form of art is highly cherished in Africa. Perhaps the finest form of performance literature are poetry recitals which come in various forms, ranging from poetry slam to spoken word. In a move to celebrate performance literature, the Kenya Cultural Centre, the Goethe Institut and Alliance Francaise will be holding a one-of-its-kind festival from 17 to 20 September, whose entry will be free.
Dubbed Jukwaani! the festival will feature a blend of the new and old as far as East African performance literature is concerned. The five-day event will also feature European-based African artistes as well as those from Europe. The performances will mostly be in English and Kiswahili. Among the personalities set to perform during the festival is German-based poet and scholar Abdilatif Abdalla. Most young Kenyan’s would not be immediately aware of Abdilatif nor his achievements. In literary circles, he is best known for his protest works. The Kenyatta regime jailed him after he wrote the book Kenya Twendapi? (Kenya; where are we headed?) This book criticised the Kenyatta government for its excesses and neo-colonial stance. He was actually charged with sedition. His other book, Sauti ya Dhiki (Voice of Agony), a collection of poetry was written while he was incarcerated at Kamiti Maximum Prison. It was basically agitating for the opening up of democratic space in Kenya. Sauti ya Dhiki went on to win the inaugural edition of the Jomo Kenyatta Prize for Literature in 1974 for the Kiswahili category. Ukoo Flani Mau Mau, better known for their lyrical prowess, will also be part of Jukwaani! attractions. Ukoo Flani, draw their inspiration and creativity from the day-to-day struggles in Nairobi slums. They are based in slums of Dandora. Best known as underground artistes, these Dandora-based hip-hoppers have chosen to remain true to their impoverished slum existence by shunning the more commercial forms of creativity. Theirs is the hard-hitting poetry that depicts typical life in the slums, their suffering, in the hands on corrupt authorities, as well as triumphs. They also document the negative side of life in the slum, like the effects of crime and drug abuse. Ukoo Flani are a direct contrast to the other form Kenya’s urban hip hop, which appears to celebrate materialism, commonly expressed in the form of flashy lifestyles and bling. Proceeds of their album Kilio cha Haki are going towards the creation of a permanent studio in Eastlands. This, they argue, will help to give young Kenyans a voice and demonstrates how hip hop and music can be an alternative to drugs and crime; a source of income; a means of voicing social and political protest. Truth be said Ukoo Flani boasts some of the finest urban poets in Kenya today, and it is their lyrical prowess that will be showcased at the festival. Tony Mochama, also known as the Literary Gangster, for his unconventional and often abrasive poetry, will also be performing at Jukwaani! The moniker Literary Gangster was inspired by the title of his book, What if I am a Literary Gangster, a collection of poetry. Other featured performers include Dalibor Markovic, Sheikh Ahmed Nabhany, Talking Drums of Africa, and Zamaleo, among others. While the example of Abdilatiff Abdalla goes to show that performance literature has been in existence for a long time, particularly among the Swahili people, the idea of performance poetry has caught up among urban youth in the last four years. Perhaps the best known is Open Mic poetry sessions organised on a monthly basis by Kwani Trust. The idea of Open Mic is borrowed from the American inspired Poetry Slam. Here a number of poets take to the stage to perform their poems and are awarded points from either a panel of judges or the audience. Spoken word is the other form of performance poetry, which is often accompanied with a musical background. Compared with Southern African countries, East Africans lag behind when it comes to performance poetry. Zimbabwe for example, has a well-established poetry movement, which has been at the forefront in the agitation for opening up of democratic space in the country. Jukwaani! as the name suggests, will mainly centre on what is on show on the podium. Jukwaani is Kiswahili for on the stage or podium. Jukwaani! hopes that the boundaries separating the performer from the audience will be shattered leading to a situation where the audience is fully involved.
Karl Max famously commented that religion is the opium of the masses, and looking at the present religious set-up in the country, one would be tempted to agree with Max’s observations.
A critical look at some of the fastest growing churches in the country today reveals that they thrive on the phenomenon known as prosperity gospel. In short, their popularity stems from the fact that they preach and promise success mainly through riches. And more often than not they are patronized by people after this success, which also means that these followers are not exactly rich.
The result is such that the more established and conservative churches are hemorrhaging followers to relatively new evangelical outfits at a very high rate. Though rarely documented, there is a wide chasm between these two opposing entities.
In his book Christianity, Politics and Public Life in Kenya, Paul Gifford brilliantly captures this rift plays itself out. He uses the much-touted Satanism probe ordered by the Moi government in 1994, as a point of illustration. He notes that while it is practically impossible to produce sufficient evidence against the phenomenon of Satanism, influential members of mainstream churches and by extension the National council endorsed the move.
The commission’s mandate was to establish the extent and effects of devil worship and its infiltration into “learning institutions and society, to establish its reported link to drug abuse and other anti-social activities” and to make recommendations to “deal firmly with the menace.”
The author notes, rather ruefully that “It did not escape notice also that the blanket demonization of Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, ‘sects’ and ‘freelance preachers’, all categorized as linked to Satan, served to bolster the influence of mainline churches,”
It is not any wonder therefore that among its recommendations was that chaplains to be appointed in all secondary schools, and that religious education should be promoted in schools and universities.
Says the book; “The mainline churches have been hemorrhaging members to new churches and groups, and some saw this report as an effort to get the security apparatus to counter and even reverse this trend. The report even states: ‘The mushrooming and infiltration of splinter religious groups and sects is threatening the existence of established churches and is providing doorways to Satanism.”
Talk about self-preservation on the part of mainstream churches!
Without appearing to be judgmental, Gifford, who is a professor of African Christianity at the University of London, appears to say that the emerging churches can equally not escape censure. In his wide-ranging research that saw him study many of these churches, he brings out some of the inconsistencies even hypocrisy.
His both is a narrative of how Christianity has manifested itself in the Kenyan public life over the years. It looks at how these churches have increasingly carved for themselves a very influential space among ordinary Kenyans. Such is their influence that they only second to political leaders.
In the Kenyan society it is widely believed that matters to d with spirituality are seldom question and this has given rise the situation where these church leaders exploit an mislead their followers.
The book also researches into how the exploitative pyramid schemes were give a religious and spiritual hue – planting the seed – to make them acceptable to the masses. Thus the church cannot escape blame as far as pyramid schemes go.
In early 2007, Central bank warned that the proliferation of pyramid schemes could affect economic growth, as their operations were not related to production of goods and services. “Between February and March 2007, the Nairobi Stock Exchange lost about Sh10 billion in market capitalization, as their ‘lost funds’ were diverted to pyramid schemes,” says the book.
The author draws parallels between pyramid schemes and the Pentecostal sector. “The standard phraseology for all such pyramid schemes was ‘planting seed money’,” he writes. “Most participants were drawn in through motivational talks, almost sermons. One group of losers said they were first introduced to the scheme at church ‘where the pastor gave them a long talk on the benefits of the scheme and its connection with Christianity.
The book says that George Donde the CEO of DECI was a former NCCK coordinator of small businesses “who claimed to have worked in Bangladesh with pioneers in microfinance, the Grameen Bank, as presented it as ‘founded on biblical teaching’.”
The author has a particularly interesting take on Apostle James Ng’ang’a’s Neno church. Apostle Ng’ang’a is preacher who enthralls audiences, both in the church and on TV with his numerous duels with the devil and evil spirits. Gifford says of him; “Ng’ang’a who…finds spiritual casualty everywhere… his followers tended to be poorer and less educated.”
The author traces the rise of what he calls Pentecostalism, in Kenya, to its roots in the US, where prosperity gospel has been taken to a whole new level. He talks of ‘megachurches’ in the US, which are basically personality driven, and whose central theme is success and riches. The mantra here being that “God wants you to be rich.”
The book says how personalities like Reinhard Bonnke, whose crusades were simply money-spinning ventures. But Bonnke has been overshadowed by the emergence of preaches like African American T.D. Jakes. “However, tastes seem to be changing,” writes Gifford. “In Kenya these preachers – like Korea’s David Cho and Morris Cerullo – seem to have been eclipsed in their pulling power by African Americans like T.D. Jakes, Juanita Bynum and Eddie Long, and Bonnke has even closed his African office in Nairobi.”
“I have argued that this Pentecostal Christianity centers primarily on success/victory/wealth,” he writes. “That is why it is misleading to describe the Christianity as evangelical, for even the basic ideas of evangelism have been transformed out of all recognition, even if the words are preserved.”
“The pastors of these newer churches are religious entrepreneurs, examples of an entire new class of religious professional, the church founder-owner-leader. The church is the source of livelihood,” says the book.
The book talks about how these churches have taken offerings – planting the seed – to a whole new level. “Sometimes giving is encouraged gently enough by testifying that one’s own wealth came as a result of giving… not infrequently, however, there is considerable pressure exerted. Sometimes this is just bullying.”
He quotes an international preacher who told his flock thus: “If God knows that you don’t not know how to give to him, He will not heal you of your disease, neither will he be your guide in life.”
It is this preoccupation with material riches that has brought about greed among many of these preachers. And cases abound of preachers who have been taken to court for swindling their followers claiming they had the power to cure them of illnesses like HIV/Aids.
The book is complete with the narration of the soap-opera like shifts, by preachers like Margaret Wanjiru and Pius Muiru, to the political podium replete with the farcical episodes that accompanied the moves.
Gifford also touches on the seemingly pervasive influence of the North American type of Christianity, which he says borders on fundamentalism and Zionism, traits that appears to have been blindly aped by the Kenyan churches, which are always on the lookout for that extra dollar from the parent churches.
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A tribute to Kimani Maruge
When Kimani Maruge burst into the public limelight, I thought it was a bad joke, a publicity stunt gone too far. Seriously, how could a man aged over 80 enrol in Standard One? Nevertheless, I followed his ‘educational career’ with detached interest.
Two years down the line the man was still at it. So the guy was serious after all? I was now asking myself. Slowly he was winning me over. And yes he had become a media superstar. Boy, did the media love Maruge? And he rarely disappointed. He always came up with soundbites, that TV people ran over and over again.
My most enduring image was of the old man with a blue (I am colour blind) blazer, with matching knee-length shorts. His socks were always pulled to the base of his knees. And below them was a pair canvas shoes popularly known as Bata Bullets.
Thus dressed, and with his ubiquitous cane Maruge would drag one heavy foot after the other on his way to school.
It did not take long before the folks at Guinness Book of Records took notice, and he promptly entered their books for the dogged way he sought to get educated. He became the world’s oldest pupil.
This man kept telling everyone who cared to listen that he went to school so that he would be able to read the Bible, and soon he was reading his favourite book.
It was worthy noting here that Maruge despite his advanced age wanted to learn how to read. His example put to shame many people who soon after they are through with formal schooling throw away their books. You’ve probably heard of infamous academic bonfires, where secondary school leavers pile all their books and set fire to them.
In their foolish thinking that is the end of them and reading. These are people who have been socialised to think that reading is a form of torture, that is only tolerated for the sake of sitting exams.
During the just concluded Storymoja Hay Festival I attended a session where Muthoni Garland, the managing director of Storymoja, told the story of a young woman who came looking for a job in her firm.
When Muthoni asked the young woman the last title she read a book, the young woman shamelessly told her that she no longer reads and she had now finished schooling! Muthoni says she was scandalised and rightly so. Here is a person who hopes to be employed in a publishing firm, and who does not read.
Well, that girl is in good company. There are quite a number of people who work in our publishing houses, who do not read. Don’t ask me how I know.
Back to Maruge. As a media star, his star never faded. He continued to attract media attention in almost everything he did. Such was his star power that the Kenya Publishers Association (KPA) invited him as a guest during the 2005 edition of the Jomo Kenyatta Prize for Literature awards at the Nairobi International Book Fair. 
In his speech Maruge, then in Standard Five, counselled on the need to cultivate a healthy reading culture. He also took the opportunity to urge the youth against engaging in casual sex.
After that Maruge retreated to his quiet lifestyle in Kenya’s Rift Valley, where he continued with his studies. The next time I heard major news on him was after the post-election violence, where he was talking to the media from an Internally Displaced Persons’ (IDP) camp.
He had been ejected from his home for belonging to the ‘wrong tribe’.
And that is how he landed in a home for the aged, in Nairobi, from where he continued with his education. All this time, he pledged to pursue his education up to university level.
By now, Maruge was looking frail, and he spoke with difficulties, but still his star power was unmistakable. Everything he did attracted media attention.
This included his baptism ceremony at a Nairobi church. Meanwhile Hollywood was planning to shoot a major movie based on his life. Titled the First Grader, the movie unfortunately, could not be shot in Kenya as the relevant authorities levied exorbitant taxes on the moviemakers. South Africa gave them tax incentives they sought and that for the umpteenth time the South African country got to shoot a movie originally destined for Kenya.
I must mention here that I was involved, in a small way in scouting for a suitable person to play the part of Maruge, but that is a story for another day.
Maruge died on August 14, at the Chesire Home for the aged in Kariobangi North, where he was staying, from complications of stomach cancer. He was aged 89.
Fare thee well Maruge. You fought the good fight. I propose a literary award in honor of the old man. Any takers?
Creative writers in Kenya will be in for a major treat at the annual Nairobi International Book Fair (NIBF) set to be held towards the end of September. For the first time, the winner of the Jomo Kenyatta Prize for Literature will take home a substantial amount of prize money.
The Kenya Publishers Association (KPA) who are the organisers of NIBF told maisha yetu that winners in the two adult fiction categories – English and Kiswahili – will each get Sh150,000 in prize money.
This is a major improvement from the miserly Sh40,000, previous winners used to receive, for the bi-annual award, the most prestigious in the country.
Other categories in the award, namely the youth and children’s writing will each get Sh75,000.
The increase in the prize money was made possible when the Prize’s main sponsors, Text Book Centre (TBC) presented the KPA Council with a cheque worth Sh800,000 to go towards the fund.
TBC has had a long history with the award. The award ran into financial trouble soon after its first edition in 1974, where Meja Mwangi’s book Kill Me Quick and Abdulatif Abdalla’s Sauti ya Dhiki, won the English and Kiswahili categories respectively.
After a long hiatus, members of the KPA council approached the management of TBC, in 1990, with a view of helping revive the award, which had been formed to encourage and reward creativity in Kenya.
TBC agreed to sponsor the award and donated Sh200,000 for the Prize Mr. C.D. Shah, a director of Text Book Centre, says that their decision to support the award stems from the fact that they had cordial working relations with publishers. “Being the biggest booksellers at that time, we were also their biggest customers,” he says. Text Book Centre has been in the business of selling books since 1950s, thereby making them the oldest booksellers.
TBC has handed over Sh200,000 on a bi-annual basis ever since.
In 1992, the prize was revived and Wahome Mutahi’s book Three Days on the Cross shared the first prize with David Maillu’s The Broken Drum. In 1995, the first prize went to Margaret Ogola, for her book, The River and the Source, Margaret Ogola’s book went ahead to win the Commonwealth Writers prize the same year.
In 1997, the first prize went to Ngumi Kibera’s book Grapevine Stories, with the Kiswahili prize going to Emmanuel Mbogo’s Vipuli vya Figo.
In a move that was deemed controversial, in 1999, judges decided that the books that had been submitted lacked creativity and therefore did not award any prize.
In 2001, Meja Mwangi again won with his book The Last Plague. Kyalo Wamitila’s Nguvu ya Sala took the Kiswahili prize. In 2003, Stanley Gazemba won the Jomo Kenyatta Prize for Literature with his book The Stone Hills of Maragoli.
In 2005, judges failed to award the first prize in the English category, arguing that the titles submitted were not strong enough. They however awarded the second prize, which went to Muroki Ndung’us A Friend of the Court.
In the Kiswahili adult category, the first prize went to Kyalo Wamitila’s Musaleo.
In 2007, Marjorie Oldudhe’s book A Farm Called Kishinev won the Jomo Kenyatta Prize for Literature under controversial circumstances. There was disagreements among judges as to which book, between Marjorie’s and Margaret Ogola’s Place of Destiny, deserved to win the prize.
The controversy led Pauline’s Publications, Ogola’s publishers, to boycott the NIBF since.
Apart from the River and the Source, which went on to win the Commonwealth Writers Prize, other winners of the award have little to show for it.
Critics have accused KPA of making little or no effort at all in marketing or publicising the award. The situation is such that these writers are barely known outside of the publishing and writing fraternity.
Perhaps the saddest story is that of Stanley Gazemba, whose book, The Stone Hills of Maragoli, published by Acacia, and which won the prize in 2003, has been out of print for a number of years now. The author has been engaged with the publisher in a long-running tussle, to make the book available.
The author says that only 500 copies of the book were published. Gazemba is however elated that the efforts of authors are finally being recognised. “They should have increased the prize money a long time ago,” he says. “What they used to give previously was a joke.”
The same fate is suffered by winners of the Wahome Mutahi Literary Prize, formed to honour the late humourist. Although Oduko bw’ Atebe’s book, which won the inaugural prize in 2006, is readily available in the market, the author laments that it should have sold better, had KPA invested in a more aggressive campaign.
Blame here should also fall on the individual publishers, who should also take advantage of the win, to aggressively push the book in the market. But in a publishing market that overwhelmingly feeds on the government funded textbook market, it might be too much to ask of them to invest substantially in marketing a non-textbook.
Mrs Nancy Karimi, who is the chairperson of KPA promised that with the windfall from TBC, the publishers’ body should make a difference in the whole marketing of their prizes.
“The increase in prize money should now trigger more creativity from our writers, as their efforts are now better rewarded,” added Mrs Karimi, who is also the managing director of Jomo Kenyatta Foundation.
Mr Rajiv Chowdhry, the managing Director of TBC explained that their decision to increase the fund came as a result of the fact inflationary forces experienced in the country over the years have seriously eroded the value of the earlier award of Sh40,000.
TBC has promised to donate an additional Sh1.6 million to cover the 2011 and 2013 editions of the prize.
During the handing over ceremony, done at the refurbished TBC offices on Kijabe Street, both the management of TBC and the KPA Council hinted at the inclusion of more categories, in future, subject of availability of funds.
I recently was invited to presented a paper, at a Ministry of Culture sponsored workshop, on the above subject and below are my thoughts.
Media continues to be an important tool in the dissemination of information in the country. This perhaps explains why media occupies such an exalted if not powerful position in the society we live in. This position of influence, if well harnessed, can bring about positive transformation in the society.
Ideally, media is supposed to serve the masses who consume it. However the reality on the ground is such that, due to ignorance, on the part of the public, media in Kenya is viewed with suspicion, in that it exists to serve not those it is supposed to serve.
Many of you gathered here today will agree with me that worst, the media is perceived as a tool to ‘fix’ out people one has some form of quarrel with. Even then, it is a privileged few who have access to media. In short media is seen as a vengeful agent to be avoided at all costs.
At best, media is seen as an avenue to being famous, and this fame is mostly associated with riches, and not many people like the idea of remaining poor. On that respect alone, media and media practitioners are much sought after.
As a media practitioner I have had occasion to encounter both extreme perceptions of the media from the public I interact with. “Si utaniweka kwa gazeti?” comes the hopeful question from those believe that only good can come from the media. “Wewe, usiniweke kwa gazeti!” is the admonishment from those who think the media is out to harm them. And in the case of the latter, it is not uncommon to hear incidents where media practitioners have had their lives threatened.
It is against this background that we must look at the role of media in the promotion of cultural content. It is also important to note that in the Kenyan media scene, not much premium is placed on culture and the arts, where creative works lie.
A casual glance at the Kenyan press will reveal the heavy bias towards reporting politics and politicians, little wonder politicians call have so much influence in our society, such that almost everything they say or do is rarely questioned.
Last year’s post-election violence is enough testament of the pervasive influence politicians have on us.
But I digress. The fact of the matter is that very little space is given to the coverage of the arts. Even in the newsrooms where we work, art and cultural writers are not taken that seriously. The unwritten rule, both in the newsroom and outside, is that you have to be a political writer to be taken seriously.
The other day I attend a joint forum for artistes and art journalists, when a well-known thespian made the unsubstantiated allegation to the effect that journalists only take up art writing, while waiting for better prospects… of eventually becoming political writers.
Well, let me say there are committed art and cultural writers, who would never substitute what they do, however unglamorous, to follow politicians around.
I long for the day when the leading news items will be Njue Kamunde (a children’s writer) holding a press conference to announce the arrival of his latest book. The reality however is such that Njue would probably not have the guts to approach a media person.
Yet, Njue, or any other writer for that matter, needs to be able to command the attention of a journalist at any given time.
When you talk about a creative writer, we are in essence talking about intellectual property. In countries like the US, the intellectual property industry is worth billions of dollars. Hollywood alone contributes a very significant proportion to the exchequer in that country.
Maybe to speak in more familiar terms names like Robert Ludlum, John Grisham, just to name but two, should be able to tell you the power of creative writing. If Grisham, for example decided to comment on the proposed health care plan in America, chances are that he would knock Obama off the headlines.
No matter how eloquent our Njue is, he can not even dream of sharing his thoughts on, say, the prosecution of post-election violence suspects, not unless he decides something out of the ordinary.
This point brings to mind Okoiti Omtata, a creative writer, who in order to get heard, had to chain himself to the fence at police headquarters. Today Omtata is known more for his political and not cultural activism. Not many people know that his play, Voice of the People, which won the Wahome Mutahi Prize for Literature, in 2008.
To remedy this situation, there needs to be a paradigm shift in the way the creative industry operates in this country. I think it is high time players in the creative industry engaged the media in a meaningful dialogue.
As an art and culture writer, I run a weekly column on happening in the industry, and every week, I have to prod people in the industry to give me material for the page. At times I am forced to beg to get this information. How do you then expect my editor to take me seriously when the political writer is spoilt for choice over what to write?
Not that there is nothing happening in the creative and cultural industry, it is just that players in the industry do not think it merits any attention. You see when I have more than enough material to put on my page, only then I can convince my editor to give me more space.
Along the same lines I challenge the parent ministry to take a more proactive role in promoting the creative/ cultural writing industry in the country. It is so disappointing when all the major literary prizes are scooped by Southern and West Africans.
I believe with more exposure, and need I say trainings, our writers can compete effectively with their colleagues in the West and Southern African countries. Then, they can be able to make news, not only locally, but also internationally.
This is not to say that the media is free from blame. Far from it. Our local media needs to take an affirmative action approach in the coverage of the arts and culture in the country. Maybe when artistes and cultural practitioners notice that their industry is being taken with more seriousness and sensitivity, then they would be more forthcoming with information. Who knows, it would spur more creativity.
Artistes and cultural practitioners, and supporting bodies like the Culture Ministry, should also take it upon themselves to sensitize media practitioners on the finer details of their operations and activities. This should be in the form of trainings and seminars.
As things stand, there is a lot of ignorance in our media, as regards what art and cultural reporting entails. Again going back to art and art writers’ forum, some of the artistes accused the journalists of not understanding what they do. To them, I will say this; If you do not take the trouble to enlighten me on what it is that you do, how do you expect me report you accurately and favourably?
With the help of more accurate, effective and informed art and cultural writing, our creative writing gets wider exposure. This exposure leads to more awareness among the reading public – and let us not talk about Kenyans poor reading habits here – and this translates into more sales and therefore better earnings.
And in conclusion, I will say here that with more meaningful dialogue between artistes and art writers, then Njue will only be too happy to see me than threaten me with dire consequences if I ‘put’ him in the papers.
And by meaningful dialogue, I mean that Njue should be able to understand that I will time and again be called upon to criticize his work, if only with a view growing him.
That said I would rather Njue be mad at me for pointing out his weaknesses, than have him happy with me covering up his mediocre output.
The Post election violence, it would appear, has inspired a lot of creativity from Kwani? Readers are treated to an unprecedented double edition of the Kwani? Journal, and most of it revolves around the post-election violence.
It has been said that countries that have suffered violent upheavals tend to produce great writers and by extension great stories. Could this be the one event that finally lifts Kenya’s creative writers from the doldrums? Could we see our writers competing on the same pedestal with the exciting southern and West African writers?
Those are some of the questions Kwani? editor Billy Kahora is grappling with in the second edition of Kwani? 5. “Are there even any defining texts for the present or for the future, let alone from the past?” asks Kahora. “I am yet to read a work of which I can say: yes, this is a Nairobi, in all its plastic glory, these are the Nakuru, Kisumu, and Mombasa that I recognise…”
Well, Kahora is speaking from his experience of having been a co-judge of the Commonwealth Regional Prize for Africa. This is a question Kahora should be directing to the Kwani? society. After all, when they happened on the scene about seven years ago, they promised to make a clean break from old generation of writers, earning themselves donor support in the process.
Well, there have been flashes of creativity from the Kwani? fraternity, and that is something to be proud about. Parselelo Kantai story You Wreck Her, was this nominated for this year’s Caine Prize for African Writing. This is Kantai’s second nomination.
This is not forgetting Kwani? founder Binyavanga Wainaina and Vyonne Awuor, both of whom won the Caine Prize in 2002 and 2003 respectively. Maybe we will have to wait for a little longer for books from this quarter.
Back to the latest edition of Kwani? For the better part, the book deals with what happened in January last year, and its aftermath. It for example contains interviews with victims and in some cases perpetrators of the violence.
Ideally, these interviews would make for extremely interesting reading were it not for the fact the interviewers were all given a template of questions to ask. This has the effect of limiting the responses to only the questions asked.
Still, there are some creative non-fiction stories that stand out for their freshness. Samuel Munene writes a piece on the rice wars in Mwea Constituency, juxtaposing it with the 2007 parliamentary campaigns in the constituency.
Millicent Muthoni writes another excellent piece on the Kigumo parliamentary campaigns and elections, although I got the feeling that she was quite close to one of the candidates.
Kalundi Serumaga, is one writer who features prominently in most Kwani? publications, and in this edition, he has an interview with Alfred Mutua, the government spokesman.
While he subjects Mutua to very tough questioning, one can’t help getting the feeling that he has certain issues to grind on Kenya and Kenyans.
This came out quite clearly in a very emotional piece he wrote on the first edition of Kwani? 5. In that story Kalundi pours out his bile on Kenya, based on his early life as a refugee, having fled from the chaos in Uganda.
From his argument in the story, he seems to say that what happened to Kenya during the post-election violence was poetic justice for Kenyans, for having mistreated him and his family when they were refugees in Kenya.
While I sympathise with what happened to him at that time, it is not enough excuse for him to take it out on Kenyans in his writings. In any case no one said that the life of a refugee should be a bed of roses.
Tony Mochama, who recently launched his book, The Road to Eldoret recently, makes a return to Kwani? with his irreverent poem Give War a Chance. The poem is a satirical piece full of dark humour. He takes a look at the different ethnic communities and what role he thinks they played in the 2007 elections and the subsequent violence that met the announcement of the results.
Petina Gappah breathes fresh air into the book with her short story titled An Elegy for Easterly. Petina, who was in Nairobi for the Storymoja Hay Festival, recently launched a collection of short stories under the same name. Petina who practices law in Geneva tells the story of slum demolitions, in Zimbabwe, at the height of Robert Mugabe’s autocratic rule.
An Elegy for Easterly tells the uncertain existence of shantytown dwellers in Harare, and how in spite of impending demolitions, life must go on.
The twin edition of Kwani? 5 records the horrors that took place during Kenya’s violent period, takes a rare peek into the minds of Kenyans during that time, and hopes that we will learn from our foolishness.
Isn’t it insulting that the two politicians we fought and lost lives over are now feasting together, polishing of bottles of champagne while planning to shield perpetrators of the post-election violence from punishment?
About two months ago I had the rare honour of visiting a community library in a dusty, remote village called Ndeiya. I would love to share my thoughts on what I saw there:
The Cardinal Otunga Library is as modern as modern libraries go. Its catalogue includes much-sought after books like the two biographies on American President Barack Obama. Simply put, the library is a gem for a book lover or anyone in search of general knowledge.
Indeed the library, with a sitting capacity of 100 people, has more than 5,000 books, and more are still to come. Well, The Cardinal Otunga Library is not in Nairobi or any other major town for that matter. It is right in the heart of Ndeiya, the very exemplification of a rural area.
Prior to the construction of the road that runs from Thogoto in Kikuyu to Mutarakwa in Limuru – though incomplete – Ndeiya was pretty much a forgotten place. Ndeyia, which is part of the larger Kiambu, and which cuts across two constituencies – Kikuyu and Limuru – had the dubious distinction of being backward, and people from that area were subjected to much ridicule.
On a good day, the library, which opens its doors at 11 am to 5.30 pm, five days in a week, is almost always full of people willing to quench their thirst of information.
The centre, which is housed at the Holy Cross Catholic Church in Thigio, is run by the Daughters of Charity. Sister Liz Smith, who is the centre’s administrator told Maisha Yetu that the center was established with the interests of area residents in mind.
“We wanted something that would take care of the youth, in the area, who are mostly idle and unemployed,” explains Sister Liz adding that the centre also has a hall which hosts recreational games like pool and table tennis.
Money for constructing the hall was donated from a family in Ireland. “After much consultation on how best the hall would be put to use, it was decided that a library would come in handy,” adds Sister Liz.
Over the years, schools in the area have generally performed badly, partly due to lack of adequate learning materials like books. And when Mrs Ann Mburu, a former teacher, was appointed the librarian, the first thing she did was to order for school textbooks, both for primary and secondary schools.
And this has borne fruits. Students from nearby schools drop into the library during weekends and school holidays to do their studies using the textbooks available. A former student from the nearby Thigio Boys Secondary School, who scored an A- in his Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examinations (KCSE) offered to tutor other students for free.
“The boy told us that his good performance in KCSE was a result of using facilities at the library,” explains Mrs Mburu. “He therefore wanted to give something back to society.”
At the time we got into the library, there were only three people, including a young girl browsing through the children’s section. As the interview progressed more people started dropping in. Most of them were in school uniform.
Sister Catherine Madigan, who is in charge of the library says that most of the books were donated from the US. “Three schools from Chicago were being closed and they donated all their books to us. We update books according to the demand,” says Sister Catherine.
The library charges a modest membership fee of Sh250 per year for adults and Sh100 for children. Members can borrow a maximum of two books, which they return after two weeks. Membership currently stands at 150.
Non-members are welcome to come and read from the library. “Membership is open to everyone irrespective of their denomination,” adds Sister Catherine.
Since the library was opened in January 2007, there has been some progress especially among neighbouring schools. “Some of the feedback we have been getting from teachers and parents is that pupils are now able to write better compositions in school,” says Mrs Mburu.
Mr David Kimani, who is in the management committee of schools in the area is full of praises for the Daughters of Charity for introducing the library in the area. “Of all the assistance that has been given to people in this area, this is the best gift so far,” he says. “Other forms of assistance create a sense of dependency among the people, but with book, our young people are going to open up their thinking, which will in effect bring about innovation and creativity.”
UPDATE: I am reliably informed that Mrs Anne Mburu no longer works at the library, otherwise everything about the library stands, including what she told me
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You can now order your books online
I’ve just had a chat with a most interesting couple, and at the end of it my faith in the young people of this country was restored. Not only have they married across tribes, they have come up with a unique online shopping experience for books.
What make’s Enock and Rachel Essendi’s venture unique is the fact that it is completely localised in that you can use M-Pesa to buy the books.
What is more delivery is absolutely free. All you have to do is log on to Rachel’s Bargain Corner, and order your book online. Once you pay your money through M-Pesa, you will get an automatically generated code, which you will then enter and wait for the book to be delivered wherever you want.
“We have an edge over conventional bookstores in that a person anywhere in the country can go online order a book and get it delivered to them,” explains Rachel.
The couple are both 27 and they met in Egerton University, where Rachel was taking a degree in Biomedical Sciences, while Enock was doing Computer Science.
Enock says that his wife is more business-minded and she is the one who decided to establish the online bookshop. “With my technical know how in IT, I designed the website,” he says adding that they are partners in the venture.
Unlike other online shopping stores, which rely on credit cards for payment, Rachel’s Bargain Corner employs the popular M-Pesa mode of payment. “Very few Kenyans have access to credit cards, but M-Pesa is widely available,” says Rachel.
Already, a number of publishers have bought into their idea and are supplying them with books. Rachel first approached Kakai Karani, the general manager of Longman Kenya, who instantly liked the idea.
Rachel then took photos of the books, information on the books and uploaded them on their website. “In instances where publishers have soft copies of their books, they have given that to me,” explains Rachel.
This makes work easier for the publishers as they are now assured of reaching areas that are currently not served by bookshops. Publishers also get the added advantage of saving on costs of delivering the books. Of course publishers give them the discounts extended to booksellers.
Customers from outside Nairobi can have their books delivered through the post office, “The customer indicates the preferred mode of delivery on the website, when they are ordering, and it comes at no additional cost,” she adds.
Apart from Longman, Rachel’s Bargain Corner has also entered into an agreement with the University of Nairobi Press, WordAlive Publishers and Text Book Centre. Storymoja and Kwani? publishers are in the process of joining them. “We are in talks with more publishers to partner with us,” says Rachel.
Rachel’s Bargain Corner will come as a relief for parents who are sending their children back to schools. “We have seen parents waste many hours in long queues waiting to buy books from bookstores,” says Enock. “What we are telling these parents is; you can now attend to other businesses and leave us to deliver the books to you.”
Mr Karani is full of praises for the initiative. “The very fact that they are able to apply the M-Pesa mode of payment puts them head over shoulders over other online shopping entrepreneurs,” says Mr Karani.
“Apart from the fact that they are opening up the availability of books to thousands if not millions of people, they have also revolutionised the supply chain, in that readers can order books from the safety of their offices or homes,” adds Mr Karani.
There is also the added beauty of readers ordering through their phones.
Rachel’s Bargain Corner has been in operation for the last one month, and already the response from customers, mostly their friends, has been satisfactory.
The following areas in Nairobi are currently in their program of distribution: Nairobi CBD, Westlands, Ngong Road, Mombasa Road, Upper Hill, Community Area and Hurlingham.
And with fibre optic cable finally here with us, the future looks really bright for the young couple.
Enock and Rachel got married in July last year and they have a nine-month-old daughter Lakisha.
Lovers of motivational books have something to look forward to. Tomorrow, Saturday August 8, will be a gathering of six motivational authors at the Silverbird Lifestyle Store, formerly Nu Metro Media Stores, starting at 2.30 pm.
The authors will be signing their books as well as interacting with their readers. This goes to show that motivational writing in Kenya has come of age. And if you want to know what really moves in bookshops today, just visit the motivational sector.
Better still visit Keswick Bookshop, opposite Holy Family Basilica and you will be shocked by the volumes of books they move. Did I hear someone say Kenyans don’t read?
So where was I? Among the authors signing their books is Former cabinet minister Prof Kivutha Kibawana. He currently serves as an advisor to the president on the Constitution. His book, titled Walk With me God, takes a philosophical look at life and his relationship with God. You should read the book and see a different Kivutha from the blundering politician, who lost his Makueni seat in the 2007 elections.
Other authors include Hon Justice James Ogoola, the Chief Judge of Uganda High Court. His book is titled Songs of Paradise: A Harvest of Poetry and Verse. Justice Ogoola also sits on the Comesa Courts of Justice. Justice Ogoola’s book was launched in Kampala last month, and judging from the reviews in Ugandan media, I think it is a book worth reading.
Also to be signed is Ken Monyocho’s How to Save Money for Investment. Now, Monyoncho’s pocket size book has been flying off shelves, and it is should be in its third edition now. Without appearing to do PR for Monyoncho, the book, to me, is Kenya’s answer to Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad Poor Dad.
The other authors are Anthony Gitonga, who will be signing his book Pathway to Purpose, and Dare to Dream Again and Best Foot Forward, both written by Fred Geke.
Other authors are Nigerian Tokunboh Adeyemo, the executive director of the Centre for Biblical Transformation, as well as the General editor of Africa Bible Commentary. His books are Africa’s Enigma and Is Africa Cursed?
Children’s author Shel Arensen will also be signing his four books in the Rugendo Rhinos fiction series. The books are The Poison Arrow Tree, The Carjackers, Poachers Beware and The Secret Oath. The event starts at 2.30 p.m. and ends at 4.30 p.m. The books are published by WordAlive Publishers.
Lets meet there.