There used to be a column in one of the newspapers or magazine titled “Stranger than Fiction” in the olden days, which made me a reality buff very early in life. Although I have devoured shelf-loads of fiction, my appetite for the real life has always been very high. No amount of fiction can match what factual accounts of real life can dish out. Fictional autobiographies are especially a delicacy because you can almost feel the author going all modest and humble in their accounts. There are no overstatements in this genre, just understatements. The best reading available is therefore about real people, real events and real places. For a long time, Kenyans were accused of being averse to telling their stories. There has been a glaring dearth of the thinking behind events and people that shaped the history of this nation. To date we have suffered from a one dimensional view of Kenyan history as told by the colonialist and their lackeys. The history of a people or nation is especially sweet when told from varying angles and by people of different persuasions. I remember a quote by some wise guy about how when men write their autobiographies, they are all modest, but when the history (the autobiography) of nations is written, modesty is thrown out of the window. For me, the year 2005 and 2006 will go down in memory as the period in our national life when the floodgates of memoir-land opened and it is therefore heart warming to note that suddenly our current and former politicians, professionals, clergy, activists and academia are jostling to tell their stories. I believe in the last six months or so, we have had at least one autobiographical book being launched every month. The most recent is former career civil servant Duncan Ndegwa’s Walking in Kenyatta Struggles, My Story, which vividly illustrated, on its first day of serialization in the Daily Nation, how the nation lost the road map to integrity when the founding “father” in the space of two tabloid pages apportioned from the public a farmhouse in Nyandarua, and excised public land in the Aberdare forest to farm tea. All this less than one year after we got our independence. That was the backdrop of my search online for any biographical writings on Kenyans. I was pleasantly surprised at how much is available. Yes it’s true that we have not been very visible, but there are enough books to keep an ardent reader busy with at least fifty titles that I came upon. Of course this being personal space, I choose to ignore many titles that did not fit my beliefs or gave uneducated and un-Kenyan perspectives or are for a younger audience. For a country that has no set and acceptable values and whose people love glorifying success by hook or crook, there is no shortage of colourful crooked characters whose lives; I have no interest in learning about. My views will however not stop the biggest thieves from cleaning their images and coming back to us as philanthropists per excellence. It is akin to going to the confession booth, spewing out your small dirty secrets and sins to the padre. He requests you to say your Hail Mary’s and all is forgiven! That is the extent of Kenyan’s forgiving and docile nature. As a country we have no way of giving these guys the collective middle finger. Some like reformed Kiriamiti who dabbled in literature after a life in crime, did not fit the bill. He had fictionalized his life in crime before realizing that an autobiographical account of his life in prison would settle the incredulous and enthusiastic applause he got from his audience. That is cashing in on one’s notoriety. I see this in the same light as the rest of the world saw OJ Simpson’s ill-fated attempt at fictionalizing his wife’s murder. I also note from recent press coverage, that Mark Too a.k.a. Bwana Dawa has also intimated that he will write his memoirs soon. I don’t look forward to reading this one. Kamlesh Pattni is also reported to have tried his hand in writing and will launch a 70-page book titled Leadership and Handling Conflict in Leadership co-authored with Tom Namwambah, a lecturer at Kenyatta University Harun Mwau, is in the fray and recently wrote” a 676-page Kamba Dictionary. The dictionary contains three parts i.e., a Kamba-English definitions, Kamba-Kamba definitions and English -Kamba definitions. A recent newspaper article described the author as “a household name in the Kenyan political and business community. Having once contested the presidency on the PICK party is a also a successful businessman in the clearing and forwarding industry, banking, supplies and sale of consumer products. He is a recipient of three presidential honours namely CBS, OGW and HSC. Apart from being a writer, Mwau is an accomplished marksman and ballistic expert.” Anyhow, I have compiled a list of books that I would love to have in my library and time allowing to read: -Unbowed- Wangari Mathai -Raila Odinga- An enigma in Kenyan politics by Babafemi Adesina Badejo -Bthwell Ogot- My footprints in the sands of time- An Autobiography -Koigi Wamwere I refuse to die – My journey for freedom -The Mediator- General Sumbeywo -Moi by Andrew Morton -Strong in the storms: Archbishop Manasses Kuria, A Biography by Musalia, Martha Wangari -Fighting without ceasing by Likimani, Muthoni -From simple to complex: The Journey of a Herds boy, an Autobiography of Joseph Mungai, -The will to succeed- Micah Cheserem -Walking in Kenyatta Struggles, My Story- Duncan Ndegwa -Unquiet: The Life and Times of Makhan Singh by Patel, Zarina -Cardinal Otunga: A Gift of Grace by Ogola, Margaret & Roche, Margaret -Karimi Nduthu: A Life in Struggle by Mau Mau Research Centre -Kenya: a prison notebook by Kinyatti wa Maina -Justice on trial: The Koigi Case Koigi wa Wamwere -Reflections of my life (From 1924 to 1996): A Memoir of a Retired Kenyan Member of Parliament- Malinda, Thomas -Alibhai Mulla Jeevanjee by Zarina Patel -Nothing but the truth: The Story of a Surgeon with Four Wives, An Autobiography Dawood, Yusuf K. -Joseph Daniel Otiende by Peter Wanyande -GG Kariuki- Illusion of power (the) reflections on fifty years in Kenya politics -Joseph Muthee- Life as a Mau Mau Detainee I would also love to read these Americans since these particular books are intertwined with our country and people:- -Rogue Ambassador- Smith Hempstone -The Audacity of Hope- Barack Husein Obama -Dreams from my father: A Story of Race and Inheritance - Obama, Barack The online bookstore Africa Book Centre http://africabookcentre.com was a wonderful find in my search for biographies, autobiographies and memoirs of prominent Kenyans. Not only did I find the few books I had in mind, but I also found numerous others by Kenyans, on Kenya and also a few from Kenya’s past. In the future I look forward to seeing more writings on Kenyans with a genuine track record of interest to the country and world. I don’t see why the lives and achievements of the likes of Kipchoge Keino, Joginder Singh, Daudi Kabaka, Bishop Muge, Paul Tergat, Tegla Lorupe, Moses Tanui , Fadhili Williams or John Ngugi just to mention a few compatriots in music and sports; cannot be in the public domain. At least their God-given talent was there for all to see. In a race, everybody sees the winner. Unlike politics where the loser with the help of a plum office, cash to buy a writer and move the wheels of PR, can twist the truth to sanctify his horrid life without batting an eyelid.
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