It is written that leaders are readers. Since independence in 1963 and afterwards, many Kenyan political leaders have written books.
Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, Kenya’s founding president wrote, ‘Facing Mount Kenya’. While Kenyatta’s anthropology book written in 1938 was about the Kikuyu folks living around Mount Kenya region, Josiah Mwangi Kariuki, commonly known as JM Kariuki, a detainee and a scribe wrote, ‘Mau Mau detainee,’ in 1963. The book is culturally important illuminating the creative and intellectual and social projects which the Mau Mau detainee underwent and engaged in. Being a pro–poor and not pro-Kenyatta’s government JM was assassinated on March 2, 1975. JM’s assassination, under President Kenyatta’s reign tears into Mau Mau’s ideals if ever they had any. Both Kenyatta and JM were detained as Mau Mau activists.
Earlier Tom Mboya, who was the Economic and Planning Minister, in Kenyatta’s cabinet but assassinated on July 5, 1967, wrote, a book known as Freedom and after in 1963. In the part biography book Mboya talks about the political and economic needs of a country after independence to build a nation in Kenya.
Thereafter, Kenya’s first Vice President Jaramogi Oginga Odinga wrote, Not Yet Uhuru in 1967 after he fell out with Kenyatta in 1966. The book sums up double O’s political beliefs ‘Odingaism,’ and his development story from a local school teacher in Maseno school to an international figure.
Interestingly, Jaramogi was replaced by Joe Murumbi, a former foreign minister who not only threw in the towel like his predecessor but later wrote ‘A Legacy of Integrity,’ and A Path Not Taken amongst others. In his books account Murumbi who reportedly hated prejudice talks on administrative ethics and personal accounts of Kenya’s independence era politics, which are all about integrity. A Legacy of Integrity is a nostalgic cry book about what Kenya could have become and still could be.
Almost in the same vein, of Kenya’s lack of independence, after the British colonialist gifted us with Uhuru, there about, the first US ambassador to Kenya after independence William Attwood wrote a book , ‘Who rules Kenya.’
The book talked about the rivalry between left, or to be more exact socialist, Chinese leaning Jaramogi and pro west Kenyatta. Going against the grain and apparently rubbing him the wrong way, President Kenyatta didn’t like the book talking about the global power struggle manifested between him and his deputy. Not only did Kenyatta dislike the book and ban it, but expelled the envoy.
At 60 years of independence, Kenya has reached the civil service retirement age and some active actors in the political field have authored books. Saitabao Ole Kanchory Azimio La Umoja’s chief agent in the August 9th 2023 polls last week unveiled a book, Why Baba isn’t the 5th?’’
Why Baba Isn’t The Fifth is an insider‘s view into why Raila lost in 2022. The book is an intriguing tragicomedy of how Raila Odinga lost to William Ruto on the 2022 presidential polls. Going by what the book says and what Miguna Miguna said in 2013, it appears history is repeating itself in Raila’s losses. It appears to be Self-inflicted blows of self-confidence and believing too much and trusting in wrong, hangouts and believing in justice in unjust, illegitimate world.
And just to indicate that politics is a dirty game , a while ago Isaac Hassan former Boss of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) wrote ,’ Referee of a Dirty Ugly Game.’
Kenya’s elections are a huge part of success and failure of the Kenyan citizens’ .this book gives the inner story and perspective of the Kenya’s electoral system
Indeed facing Mount Kenya and reeling on Mau Mau detainee, it seems those in the political arena are writing books ones more. In that respect, since of late it has become common to hear mtoto wa Mau Mau from some mount Kenya Kwanza Politicians .
It high time these chaps wrote what contribution Mau Mau, made in Kenya’s political history. History clears says the British colonialists anguished and vanquished the Mau Mau movement by 1956 when ‘field marshal’ Dedan Kimathi was arrested, tried, convicted, jailed and buried in unmarked grave.
It high time any ‘mtoto wa mau mau’ rose to the ranks and wrote a book how they practically delivered Uhuru, 9 years later. Really, it beats judgment how could a militarily defeated Mau Mau with it leaders in jail help to politically gift Uhuru to Kenya. With concern the strain of many not learning from the written word seems a hurdle; books are meant to be learnt from.
‘’Books must be living teaching and referral resources,’’ according to Apalla James.
By Amoto Ndiewo
Get more stories from our website: Education News
You can also follow our social media pages on Twitter: Education News KE and Facebook: Education News Newspaper for timely updates.
