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Encounter with Elephants
Encounter with the Elephants chronicles the twists, turns and encounters in the life of Mwalimu Gekone, who through hard work, community support and family generosity, rose from humble beginnings to reach the pinnacle of high school teaching. The search for education takes him from his rural home to Nakuru Town to Nairobi (City in the Sun) to primary teacher training college, this jogoo wa shamba (village cockerel) faces challenges which he squares with with an eye for success!Putting his best foot forward teaching, the education bug would not let go of him. This thirst for knowledge then takes Gekone to India as a mature university student with English Literature, Psychology and Economics at the core of his study before reentering his teaching career back in Kenya.A dedicated servant out to do his best, he meets mixed responses even as he does his best to uphold the values and tenets of the teaching. Caught in the politics of the profession and the struggle for excellence, he faces tough choices in frustrating circumstances. As a way out, he flees to the much sought-after West in search of safety and a better life. The American Dream!In this autobiographical novel, the teacher takes his audience through milima na mabonde (mountains/hills and valleys) in a most captivating manner, which he does candidly and in an incisive manner
Basic Education in Kenya: A Reality C...
Professor Onderi is an educationist who has served as high school teacher and principal, director of a University Campus and don in the School of Education as well as County Education Board (CEB) chairman for ten years, among other responsibilities.
Professor Onderi has written in his area of specialty and expressed himself in the language and style that resonates with the whole spectrum of basic education stakeholders. This book is an incisive commentary on topical and contemporary issues in education and is worth the attention of everyone interested in current trends in education. - Mrs. Hellen Mabese Luhangala, Chief Principal
When I got a chance to read the manuscript of this book from cover to cover, I did so with a lot of interest. As a journalist, literary writer, parent and Board of Management (BoM) member in an upcountry school, I wanted to have a better understanding of this critical area of education. This book is an easy, educative and informative read.
- Mr. Joshua Araka, Journalist and Literary Writer, Nyamira
Basic Education in Kenya: A Reality Check is a treasure whose publication coincided with the gradual roll-out of the Competence Based Curriculum (CBC) in Kenya. The book offers crucial insights that are central to the betterment of CBC. The areas tackled in this book will indeed trigger a more proactive mindset amongst head teachers, teachers, Board of Management (BoM) members, Parents’ Association (PA) members, and every other stakeholder for them to play their roles more diligently. - Mr. Ben Orwasa, Director at Teachers’ Service Commission (TSC)
This book is a reservoir of new knowledge. It brings to the fore pertinent issues in Basic Education in a simple, chronological and convincing manner, and at the same time lifts an individual to the highway of thoughts relating to what works and what doesn’t work as contemplated in the existing laws, policies and other legal documents within which basic education operates. This book will offer good company to students and dons in the Schools of Education, researchers, academicians, scholars, school managers and administrators, parents, and sponsors, among other stakeholders of basic education in Kenya. - Dr. Teresa Atieno Datche, Chief Principal
Tell me a Story
Folk tales were a major ingredient of community lore in traditional society, a craft that is almost forgotten in modern society. Not only are the stories lost but with the loss goes the cultural and social activities that were the fabric that undergirded the craft and strengthened community bonds. Tell Me a Story draws from this traditional storytelling culture. It is an attempt to preserve that unique craft of storytelling, the stories and the lessons that came with the tales. It is noteworthy that such traditional folklore was not only entertaining but was also a source of moral lessons that informed society’s day-to-day well-being.
The collection of ten folktales touches on societal aspects such as trust, greed, friendship, respect, and deception, among many others. In the process, the author gives readers a glimpse of the foundations that kept society strong. The lessons, therein, are as relevant today as they were in times that have passed, underlining the fact that human beings have hardly changed despite advances made over many centuries.
What others say:
“Very imaginative with moral lessons that can be learnt from the conduct of the characters. Presented in the tone of pre-literate society storytelling, they take the reader on a captivating journey.” – Harriet Irungu, Editor and Student of Literature.
“This is an invaluable collection of stories that captures both the craft of storytelling and the moral lessons that come with the stories. It is a timely publication for modern times where values and community interest are on a downward slide.” – Anonymous
Tell me Where You’ve Been
Arthur Dobrin’s Tell Me Where You Have Been adds to diverse voices in postcolonial migration and identity politics. It offers the reader a chance to reflect on the merits, demerits and consequences, thereof, of such immigration relative to the dynamics in host nations. What is the balance one should maintain between one’s identity and the new networks that are essential for one’s success in the host nation or community? What is the place of lived experiences and how do those shape success for the immigrant? How do these lived experiences intermingle and shape the immigrant’s trajectory in the foreign nation?
What others say
“I thought [the writing] was somewhat, “genius” at times. It is a style comparable to jazz music, characterized by improvising, syncopated rhythms with a strong emphasis on individual expressions and virtuosity.” — Eric Byas
“I was in suspense by the way the author toggled from the present to the past. the blending of historical events and characters, which at times caused me to forget this was fiction. This was a riveting page-turner with plot twists that kept me reading until the end.” — Vasco Figueira
“Tell Me Where You’ve Been is a powerful reflection on how people treat music, literature and especially people. I enjoyed it greatly.” — Brian Benavides
“The uniqueness of this book lies in Dobrin’s extension of Bhabha’s theory of onward migration and contemporary challenges among minorities living in host nations such as the United States of America.” — Dr. Andrew Nyongesa, Literature Scholar
The Village Pariah by Imali J. Abala
The Village Pariah, narrated in verse, dramatizes the story of Rosie Kasovo, a beautiful and lonely woman from Ngoroke village. Abandoned by her husband shortly after their marriage when he secures a job in the city, her striking beauty unwittingly becomes her double-edged sword, inviting relentless scrutiny from the people of Ngoroke. Every action she takes falls under their watchful gaze. Despite her sincere efforts to contribute positively to the common good of the community, her deeds are met with skepticism. As the accusations and betrayal against her mount, one question remains: will Rosie be able to emerge from this ordeal unscathed, or will she crumble under the weight of her village’s judgment?
What Others Say
The Village Pariah is a remarkable book illustrating how beauty was once believed to guarantee happiness and a seamless life, yet for Rosie, a Logooli woman, it has become a barrier, a pariah wall, isolating her from the community. Strangely, the fate of the entire village appears intertwined with hers, their destinies woven into the fabric of their relentless gossip. Into this tangled web steps Eliab, a man lacking noble standing but propelled by the villagers’ whispered truths, determined to confront her. If his impulsive action can mend their afflictions, both tangible and perceived and liberate the unfortunate souls ensnared by her charm, then so be it. - Alfred Nyagaka Nyamwange, English/Literature Teacher and Deputy Principal at Bon’gota Secondary School.
Rejected and Blessed by Anderea Morara
Rejected & Blessed is Anderea Morara’s second novel. His first novel, The Sting, has been adopted by many secondary schools as a crucial reader. Rejected & Blessed is set in East Africa, but cast in a global context with the primary purpose of highlighting the human aspects of the continuous cultural transformation from the pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial eras as well as the global political economy. The novel tells the dramatic and traumatic love story in which the clash of cultures in the context of rapid social change, makes it awfuly difficult to determine right from wrong.
This book gives a glimpse of how this transition affected and is affecting, communities in the region and the resultant coping strategies as well as the effects of the associated coping mechanisms, especially in the realm of love, marriage and child-rearing. On the global scene, the subtle dynamics of economic hegemony, foreign aid, brain drain, racism and cultural dialectics are glossed on.
The Weight of Black Tongues and Other...
“The Weight of Black Tongues is an anthology of over half a dozen original short stories by an emerging star of new Kenyan literature, Bonface Nyamweya. This debut collection is both startling and gripping – envision it as a ride on the tail of a shooting star, zooming through Kenya’s night skies, each twinkle representing a unique story. As a dynamic figure in post-COVID-19 literary circles, whom I have had the honour of mentoring, Nyamweya showcases the depth and scope of storytelling in Kenya, transitioning from unusual novels and sartorial poetry to making his mark in short story fiction. From the enigmatic Whose Title Died to the riveting Waiting for Mama, each title in this new book invites readers into a world of mystery and profound reflection, solidifying Nyamweya as a rising force in African literature in the wake of the fin de siècle.
Ties of Destiny by Marjory Kimani
Ties of Destiny is the story of two men who are born together, brought up together, and bound together for life by incidence, coincidence and fate. The two are sworn enemies from their childhood and both are achievers, born fighters and dyed in the wool go-getters. However, their methods of achieving success are a lesson in differing world views and an insight into the complexities of the human psyche. At the heart of the story is the love of mothers who will do everything possible, even keeping deadly secrets, to protect their children. Things come to a head when an unexpected development occurs and both men are forced to confront the bitter reality and face a common nemesis until a solution is found from the most unexpected source.
Mucii ni Mucii
Mucii ni Mucii , written in Gikuyu one of Kenya's indigenous languages, is a moving story of a peasant girl who defies odds in her childhood to become one of the most prosperous people in the country. Starting in a background of biting poverty and an abusive father, Wahito drops out of school after her primary education and gets a low paying job after another.
Meanwhile, evil clouds are hanging over her horizons. In her youthful naïveté, she lets of the man who truly loves her and falls into the old trap of being lured by a "use and dump" type who has loads of cash to spend. In the most confused phase, her young life takes a downturn after that; and she moves from one crisis to another, including being orphaned while still a single mother.
But fate has other plans for her. She ends up with the man who was destined to be her soul mate. Together, they traverse a terrain full of many risks and barriers to realize the dreams of their lives. Through providence or destiny, it seems Wahito's life is forever intertwined with those of her girl friends. The story has a gripping climax with a lot of the unexpected happening.
In the end, all (of almost all) the pieces of Wahitos' chequered life fall into place and she seems to lead an exciting, happy prosperous life. But then, one never knows what happens next in Wahito's life.
Philosophy of Teachers’ Epistem...
Philosophy of Teachers’ Epistemic Beliefs for Changing Pedagogy: A Paradigm Shift to Competency-Based Education offers pedagogical insights into the paradigm shift intended by the 21st Century competency-based education. The authors, informed by both policy and research on education, argue that implementation of competency-based education requires anchoring pedagogical explorations on the epistemology of a competency-based curriculum. Research in personal epistemology reveals that teachers enact espoused epistemic beliefs in classroom pedagogical practice. Teachers must be empowered to change their pedagogical competencies by drawing their attention to their default epistemic beliefs which must be replaced by what is aligned with the epistemology of a competency-based curriculum.
The book makes the case that curriculum reforms necessarily imply pedagogical reforms. That is, pedagogy is parasitical on the epistemology of curriculum. The book exposes the underpinning epistemology of competency-based curriculum in Kenya and has gone further to derive epistemic beliefs that teachers should acquire to facilitate their efforts at reforming their pedagogy aligned to Competency-based education.
We live in a time of radical revolution where knowledge is a critical factor in all sectors of society. The education sector is charged with the responsibility of empowering learners as creators of knowledge. Learning how to learn is a key competency in adapting, utilizing and experimenting with novel conceptions of knowledge which includes changing teachers’ epistemic beliefs and attitudes.
This book is resourceful for policy-makers in teacher education, teacher educators at university and teacher training colleges, educationists, practicing classroom teachers, education researchers, school managers and readers interested in facilitating effective pedagogical change for the implementation of competency-based education.
What Others Say
“The authors of this book have competently simplified the technical aspects of CBE in such a way that the reader would readily understand the extent to which CBE is the way forward for nurturing 21st Century skills and competencies through formal education.” - Samson Okuro Gunga, Professor of Philosophy of Education, Faculty of Education, The University of Nairobi.