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MALAIKA
When a university professor decides to open a private school where young children can be taught in their mother tongue, she finds herself at the centre of controversy and intrigue. This is a story about the love and dedication of three women: a young, independent businesswoman. an older teacher and her American friend. As political events swirl around these women, and as Kenya moves towards democracy and national cohesion, the reader is caught up in the struggle of the human spirit to realize the goal of justice for all people.
Arthur Dobrin is Professor Emeritus of University Studies at Hofstra University. He is also Leader Emeritus of the Ethical Humanist Society of Long Island, New York, United States of America.
He and his wife, Lyn, were Peace Corps Volunteers in Kisii, Kenya from 1965-67, lived there again in 1975 and returned many times since. Dr. Dobrin is the author of more than 25 books, including three others set in Kenya: Salted with Fire, Kwamboka’s Inquiry, and This Red Land.
Fortune of the Unfortunate
In Fortune of the Unfortunate, the author provides extensive and well-woven storytelling of day-to-day lives centred around themes of love and kindness, love choices; love and culture; love, loss and depression; love and sacrifice; and more such as mistrust and betrayal.
For instance, in The Fortune of the Unfortunate, Tracy, a 15-year-old royal girl is moved by the sufferings of unfortunate street children. It inspires her to take extraordinary steps to bring fortune to the unfortunate street families.
Christine, in Beneath the Smile is down to tears after learning about her mother’s death. She sets off on the journey to attend the funeral with her husband and daughter only to learn that her mother is not dead but in the ICU. She ends up in the same hospital when she passes out. In her sick bed, she had flashbacks to her days on campus and how she strayed.
In Eternal Promise, Chris loses his wife and daughter in a car crash, a traumatic experience that sends him into depression. Chris fights to hide the depression from his employees and his mother. More and more, he devotes his time to the company he started with his wife, showing little interest in loving again even as his secretary persistently tries to ‘bring him to the path of steady life’.
In Friends in the Circle, college friends engage in a storytelling session that leads to confessions of love and the spilling of their lives’ secrets. Michael reminisces about his first love, narrating his tale with fondness and sorrow. On each count of account, Michael and Lien’s interest in each other intensified.
… and many more!
Readers will find these stories, all drawn from the realities of contemporary life, compelling.
The Blissabyss
The Blissabyss depicts the contradictions inherent in human life and its vulnerability to negative trajectories. Save for Nancy, Eugene, Fresha, and Brenda are idealistic in their youth. As they mature, they come to terms with a world with little room for ideals. Driven by ambition to succeed, Eugene reveals his plans to everyone only to encounter many obstacles on his journey to success. When his brother, Soita attempts to murder him, Eugene comes to terms with his delusions about being strong. Deprived of love and family, his tethers to idealism snap, and he drinks and spends in Nancy’s room contradicting his moral principles. After a fantastic love affair with Frank, Fresha loses her chastity. Eugene would have continued in his chosen destructive path without Professor Mukabi’s intervention. The author’s message: a supportive social environment is the sole prescription to mitigate the weaknesses ingrained in human nature.
What Others Say
“The characters in The Blissabyss represent a society at a crossroads with individuals seeking to find their feet and place in the face of shifting identities and generational transformations. Their interactions and experiences at the university cast aspersions on their long-held beliefs and open them to new vistas of a future that are substantially different from what they have been made to believe. These young characters act as a link betweewn the age-old beliefs and the future possibilities which need a sincere and rational engagement devoid of misconceptions and half-truths. This they do with varying degrees of success.” - Dr Maurice S Mwichuli, Lecturer, Literary Studies, Kenyatta University
“In The Blissabyss, Andrew Nyongesa uses elegant, contemplative language with a mix of poetic imagery and emotional depth. The text is rich and expressive creating vivid images of the settings. The description helps the readers to visualize the characters’ inner worlds and their interactions.” - Juliet Achieng’, Editor, Nsemia Inc.
Songs of the Master River Wabler
Emeino y'Egetinginye Enchome is a captivating book of Ekegusii poetry that celebrates the rich tapestry of the AbaGusii people. The poems within this collection explore the depths of love, the enchanting beauty of the EkeGusii language and culture, and the splendor of the natural world.
From the majestic rivers and rolling hills to the vibrant flora and fauna, the anthology paints a vivid portrait of the Gusii homeland. Readers are invited to savor the essence of Ekegusii heritage through the poet's exploration of traditional culinary arts, cherished dishes, and cultural landmarks. The collection is a testament to the enduring spirit of the Gusii people, expressed through the lyrical power of their native tongue.
The poems in this book were conceived in Ekegusii in a bid to capture the nuances of Gusii's spoken art, culture, language, and way of life, which is surely facing extinction. It persuades the reader to go back not only in time but also to the roots of the essence of Ekegusii. There is an attempt to translate the poems to English for a wider reach.
Anciently of the clan of Masisi of the Bagesaka from Bobasi, Nyansera Otieno is a scribe, painter, curator, cultural activist, and native language crusader. He has taught at the Bugema University (Uganda) and Kisii University (Kenya) at the School of Arts and Social Sciences, Department of Languages Linguistics and Literature. He holds a doctorate in linguistics from Kisii University. He is a crusader for Gusii Language and Culture revitalization. He writes poetry and short stories from his rich EkeGusii oral literature background. He patronizes the Bobasi Branch of the AbaGusii Cultural and Development Council and Mwanyagetinge Heritage Council, Bobasi Chapter.
The Year in Gusii: The Naming of Mont...
Abagusii, buna banto bande bonsi bare ense eye, imbabwate enchera yokoroberia chingaki ao ao. Rituko, buna ande onsi ase erioba rikoraba, igo riaye gochake ekemambia ka bokogia naende riaera mogoroba ka bwairire. Kobara amatuko igo bare gochaka na ‘rero’ babara gochia magega gose motwe.
Emetienyi eyare kobwatia okoraba kw’omotienyi (omweri), ekagera omwaka okaba emetienyi ikomi na ebere. Korende amarieta y’emetienyi ao ao igo are kobwatia gose n’engaki y’embura, omobaso gose omorakera na komenta gose n’engaki gokorema, gosimeka gose kogesa.
Ayio onsi n’oyokworokia buna Abagusii bare komanya buna ingaki ki ere egere baroberie keria bagwenerete gokora.
****************
Abagusii, like all other communities across the world, had a way of relating with time. While the day was dictated by sunrise and sunset, days were separated relatively, with ‘today’ being the anchor relative to other days. Months, on the other hand, followed the moon’s cycle and hence the twelve months of the year. Months were named relative to the weather of the time and the activities it dictated. For this reason, the names of months were largely descriptive.
This provides an overview of the concept of time in Gusii and the rationale for naming the months in the manner they were.
The Eye of Mayenga by Jaspher Rori
The Eye of Mayenga is a heart-throbbing novel centred in a remote, rural African village of Mayenga. The village is a lethargic place that appears to have been left behind with respect to world trends and realities. Its residents seem trapped in times gone, dwelling on beliefs like witchcraft and other archaic practices. There seems to be neither vision nor mission, and stuck in antiquated beliefs. Its residents' pastime is drinking cheap illicit liquor, and engaging in pessimistic village gossip, which presents its own challenges. Their own son, Vincent Senta, a practising lawyer in Nairobi, 'sees with his heart' the predicament of the village, and resolves to apply his knowledge, skills and connections to bring change to the village. He successfully organises a women's group and initiates an eye-catching water project, which some people appreciate and see him as the "Eye of Mayenga." However, petty gossip and a troubled family life take their toll on him. To escape the harsh reality, he finds solace in his sentimental secretary. The relationship is ill-fated with him testing HIV-positive of which he eventually dies. Despite the medical exposition on the cause of death, blame is squarely placed on his hard-to-understand neighbours who, due to their religious beliefs, lead lives of solitude. Most residents of Mayenga believe he has been bewitched by the neighbours. In a "revenge mission", the neighbours are burnt alive in broad daylight right in the presence of the local chief. Though rumours were rife that these neighbours carried the cross of Senta's death, nobody had answers to the chief's torrential questions: Who? When? Why? What? How? And what and in the future? And future? The Eye of Mayenga captures a community at a cross-road and illustrates the clash of cultures and the struggle between the past and modernity.
"The Eye of Mayenga is a wonderful piece of art that touches on many aspects of our lives. It tackles contemporary issues of the developing world undergoing social change.These are issues that offer challenges to development." - Elijah Ogoti, English Teacher, Kenya.
"Apart from being an excellent story to read, it is a commendable book for students in community development." - Joseph A. Awino, Lecturer, University of Nairobi, Kenya.
"Jaspher Rori's work is a pretty juicy, practical, and interesting story that is set in a traditional African society, and is interwoven with unique practical challenges, exciting themes and characters that leave the reader yearning for more." - Sakaja Yona, Lecturer, University of Nairobi.
The Fear of the Void
When the night touches the ground
the day puts a shroud on its head
a flood of baffling darkness
then the concept of nothingness becomes more real
I get filled with terror
and receive attacks of anxiety
-- the fear of the void
death is imminent
I practice how to die everyday
I die many times
I learn to surrender
to the void
-- to this nothingness.
Orchids in Taiwan
I was deeply moved by Okemwa’s deep affection for Taiwan, and constantly amazed by his paradoxical expression techniques utilized in his poems to guide readers into the trap designed by his measure of insinuations. This ironic statement manner strengthens the positive and affirmative attitude, and produces unexpected and surprising effects.
- Prof. Lee Kuei-shien, Taiwanese Poet, Translator & Vice President of Movimiento Poetas del Mundo.
我被歐肯姆瓦對台灣的深情感動不已，對他詩中運用的逆說表達技巧，以旁敲側擊的手段，引導讀者墜入他設計的圈套中，更是不斷驚嘆，這種以反諷的陳述方式，加強正面肯定的態度，產生令人意料不到的驚奇效果。
— 李魁賢教授，台灣詩人、翻譯家、世界詩人運動組織副會長
Christopher Okemwa's Orchids in Taiwan is a surprising poetry book about life and love, painting Taiwan like you would paint an African woman.
-Prof. Marta Eloy Cichocka, Polish poet and photographer, Iberian Studies scholar and a Francophile literary investigator and translator.
克利斯多福．歐肯姆瓦的《台灣蘭花》是寫生活和愛，令人驚嘆的詩集，描繪台灣就像你在描繪非洲女人一樣。
— Marta Eloy Cichocka 教授，波蘭詩人、攝影師、伊比利亞研究學者、親法文學研究者和翻譯家。
An Ethnopharmacological Investigation...
Before the arrival of Western medical practices in Africa, indigenous communities had many ways of treating various illnesses. Some, like the Abagusii of Kenya, even had advanced medical practices (given the time) such as head surgery which they conducted routinely with success. Western religion and medicine dealt a blow to these proven medical practices and stunted their development. Nonetheless, because of its effectiveness, traditional healing survives alongside Western medical practices that have taken root worldwide. Some estimates suggest that approximately 60% of the world’s population depends solely on plants for medication. As such, in Africa, it is common to find a Western-educated who professes the Christian faith under modern hospital treatment alongside prescriptions by traditional healers.
Indigenous healing relied on a clear selection of specific plants, elaborate preparation and administration. Typically, the administration of the treatment relied on the plants’ medicinal potency, the associated diet (nutrition) and spiritual beliefs. William Nyang’ate Gisesa set out to test the efficacy of some of the plants used for treatment in Gusii with the results presented herein.
The work, An Ethnopharmacological Investigation of Plants Used by Abagusii Traditional Medical Practitioners, relied on interviews with herbal medicine practitioners, their claims and testing the effectiveness of the plants in a laboratory environment. The work, originally completed for doctoral studies, examines (using modern scientific methods) the authenticity of traditional headers’ claims on the efficacy of their treatment.
The results point to the potential for an indigenous, plant-based, pharmaceutical industry to complement the established medicinal drug production. At a time when pathogens rapidly acquire resistance to medications, indigenous plants offer fresh options.
The work focused on practitioners from Gusii region: Nyamira and Kisii counties. Considering that all communities had similar practices, the task of examining plants used by all Kenyan peoples is colossal.
The Naked Shadow
The Naked Shadow is a story of political competition and machinations that underline the thirst and search for power. It is an exposé of the many dark forces of political intrigues and their devastating impact on the protagonists, the society and many innocent bystanders. In the fictitious country of its setting, The Naked Shadow exposes the play between political power, drug dealing and love affairs where see-saw-like swings in alignments seal the fate of many. Here mayors hold office at the pleasure of drug cartels as opponents hatch schemes (many of them evil) to win political authority. There is blackmail and murder. Amidst all this, there is suffering and no one is spared: family, children, and innocent lovers. Sadly the electorate remains a pawn in the ever-evolving chase board of ‘planned wickedness’.
What Others Say
“The uniqueness of this novel lies in postmodernist thought that the world is pervaded by confusion and humankind’s attempt to bring order in chaos remains an exercise in futility. The law, the state, and the police are just ‘organized immorality’ as Nietzsche claims and even the modernist insistence on reward for the ‘good’ and punishment for the ‘evil’ sometimes does not happen. In the novel, punishment and suffering also pursue the upright and noble given the muddled attributes of life.” – Andrew Nyongesa, PhD, author and scholar of literature
“The Naked Shadow exposes a gangster state (not unlike many in the world) that thrives on drug dealing, prostitution and murder through orchestrated eliminations in planned ‘see-saw’ revenge episodes among protagonists with collusions and making love in the mix. ” – Matunda Nyanchama, PhD, Publisher and IT Consultant.
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.
The Pearl on the Horizon
The Pearl on the Horizon is a moving story about the devastating effects of materialism which sends a rich ethical message in line with religious teachings. Madame Victorine Mahfouz grows up in a materialistic family and looks at everything through these lenses. On the other hand, Eugene and Fresha believe in high achievements in education and consequent roses. Confronted with unemployment and tough socio-economic demands, Madame Victorine mocks the two and even threatens to destroy their engagement. Underlying the plot is a classic romantic love relationship between Eugene and Fresher, on the one hand, and Madame Victorine’s illicit amorous scandals, on the other. In these well-written passages with techniques enriched by letters, songs, poems and narration, the reader will appreciate the author’s juxtaposition of success and survival. The Pearl on the Horizon draws a line between survival and success, crowns the latter prominence and discredits the former. The writer suggests that success is slow but bears enduring results. Survival, on the other hand, is quick but can lead to ruin.
What others say
“The novel is captivating and factual. It captures social and material conditions in Africa occasioned by poor governance. So what is success in the face of devastating levels of unemployment, stiff competition from the large pool of graduates and the need to survive? Is it unprincipled material acquisition and a ‘good living’ or a good education and ethical living?” – Rose Keya, Book Editor.
“The Pearl on the Horizon speaks volumes to young adults who may want to take shortcuts in life and the consequences of such actions.” Harriet Irungu, Student of Literature.
Biblical Wisdom in Proverbs of Abagus...
Abagusii have a rich oral tradition that, among other things, is captured by the proverbs in their language of Ekegusii. The proverbs speak to a wide range of subjects and situations, and many of them capture their spiritual disposition. Indeed, like all communities across the world, Abagusii had very clear ideas of the world and how it worked, including any phenomena they encountered. This forms the core of Biblical Wisdom in Abagusii Proverbs. By means of illustration, using one hundred proverbs from Ekegusii, the author contrasts the proverbs and their meaning with situations captured in the Christian Bible. While the overlap in spiritual beliefs of Abagusii and the texts in various parts of the Bible may be wider than captured in this work, the author makes the case that Abagusii were deeply religious and likely as much spiritual as the Bible depicts.
ROCK OF THE FIRST WIFE by Ben O. Okech
Rock of the first wife (Kit Mikayi) stems from the rocky ridges of Seme.When young Okello and Nyowila meet at a festival organized by the great chief, their united passion leads down a destructive path. Their union brings on them a curse so great that only Nyowila sacrificing herself at the great rock can restrain the Chira. Years later, however, destiny seems to have a similar course for the life of their son, proving what the villagers have always deemed true: a curse never really goes away; it just stays in the blood, waiting to be resuscitated and flow through the generations. Such was the case for the young man, Ngeso, a child born out of a tabooed relationship.
Ben Okech is a drama and literally enthusiast. He prides in telling tales of the Luo and giving life to them through novels. His quest is to connect with folklore that is facing danger of extinction. He is a teacher of English and Literature and both a trainer of drama and an adjudicator of the same. He has contributed to the literature world through his contribution to a short anthology story titled The Children of The Rain and the novella The Last Pillar of Ramogi, The Last Known Maidens of Ramogi, The Last Hand of Ramogi and the Omnibus of the Legacy of Ramogi.
Haughty Boys of Ngoroke by Imali J. A...
Agoyi's afterschool argument with his step-mother sets off an unpredictable series of intriguing misadventures. The subsequent meandering journey is one of the choices between what is morally right and the lure of the 'attractive". Always a balancing act between what could be (success) and potential disaster, Ayoyi's life is a perpetual succession of dilemmas. The moral question of choices is the central theme of this work.