A Trip to Kenya: Kenyan Literature

Random Facts about Kenya

Kenya is known for a lot of things. One of them is athletics. No lie, that is our forte in the Olympics. It’s the only sport that I watch during the competitions. I can’t run to save my life but I do love the fact that it is one thing that Kenyans are known for. Well that and rugby of course. We are not so good in football though. Let us not even discuss that.

 

Kenya is also known for it’s tourist attractions. The wildlife that we have continues to attract local and foreign tourists to our game reserves and national parks.  Have you ever heard about the wildebeest migration? We also have a few mountains such as Mt. Kenya Longonot and Mt. Elgon. The great Rift Valley is also one of the most scenic parts of the country. We are also known for the idyllic beaches in our island towns like Mombasa and Lamu. Kenya is also home to the Maasais, one of the most popular cultures in the world.

 

This is what the wildebeest migration looks like. I liked this article by Dominic Chadbon about How the Wildebeest Migration Works. Check it out.

A number of famous people around the world have Kenyan roots such as; former US president, Barrack Obama, whose biological father was Kenyan. Hollywood also has had some famous Kenyans including Oscar award actress, Lupita Nyongo and Edi Gathegi. Ajuma Nasenya has also made a name for herself in the world of fashion as a Kenyan international supermodel. Recently, a Kenyan-born woman, Lucy Gichuhi became the first African-descent senator in Australia.

Those are some of the things that we are known for. Of course, we are also known for some not so good stuff which I will not mention here because international media already got that covered lol.

Art by xtraterestial

The words mean ‘ Proudly Kenyan‘. They are written in Swahili which is Kenya’s national language. I know y’all know Hakuna Matata from Lion King and Moto Moto from Madagascar lol that is Swahili. Our official language is English. Kenya has 42 ethnic tribes and each of them speaks their own language. So basically, most(if not all) Kenyans speak three languages sometimes all in the same sentence. Mother tongue(the ethnic language) is one of the first languages learned by kids, English and Swahili are taught in school although they are the common languages spoken in the cities. In my case, I think in English though I speak Swahili most of the times(not pure Swahili but all mixed up with other languages). I tend to speak the other two languages when I am nervous,angry/emotional.English usually fails me in those moments. Sometimes I worry about my reviews and whether I express myself well enough since English is my ‘third’ language.

Kenyan Literature by Kenyan Authors

I grew up reading Kenyan literature. The first novel that I ever read was The River Between by Ngugi wa Thiongo. Although fiction, Ngugi’s book helped me learn about the history of Kenya and my own ethnic tribe, The Agikuyu. I have since read so many other books by the author which is why; he is first on my list.

Ngugi Wa Thiong’o

I don’t think there is an author who writes about Kenya like Ngugi does. His stories especially about Kenya under colonial rule are very captivating. In addition, he has written a memoir about growing up during the colonial era. Ngugi has not only written books in English but also in Kikuyu. This author has been imprisoned because of some of the books that he has written.

With so many successful books being sold around the world, it is now wonder that Ngugi has been nominated for the Nobel Literature prize. Some of his books include, The River Between, The Wizard of the Crow, Weep Not Child, A Grain of Wheat and Matigari.

Binyavanga Wainaina

In 2014, Time Magazine named Binyavanga Wainaina as one of the most influential people in the world. His popular books include One Day I will Write about this place and How to Write About Africa. One of his most popular articles that dominated news headlines in Africa was I am a homosexual, mum /. I encourage you to read it.  Binya came out through the article and I don’t want to go into details but let me just say that, that is not an easy thing to do in Africa.

Nobel Laurette, Wangari Maathai

 

Wangari Maathai is best known for her work in environmental conservancy. Her advocacy works have led her into serious issues with the government. Her book, Unbowed talks about her political and personal problems and her she rose above that.  It is one of the most inspiring books that I have ever read.

Margaret Ogola

 

One of the most memorable books that I have ever read is The River and The Source. I read this book when I was sixteen which was sixteen years ago. However, I still remember it. I still recall the character that chocked on a fish-bone and died and for that reason, I don’t really like fish. I remember the unique words that the author used in the books. How well she represented the Dholuo culture in the book. This was a masterpiece.  It has been translated into Lithuanian, Spanish and Italian.

 

Meja Mwangi

Meja is another iconic writer of Kenyan literature. He published 24 titles between 1979 and 2015.  The above are some of his most popular books. Most of his titles have been translated to French, German and Spanish. In filmography, Meja is known for his works in iconic Hollywood movies, The Kitchen Toto and Out of Africa.

Wahome Mutahi

 

Wahome Mutahi best known as ‘Whispers’ was a humor columnist in the Kenyan newspapers. When I was growing up, I used to religiously read all his articles. Wahome also published a few books including The Devil on the Cross, How to be a Kenyan and The Jail Bug.

 

Yussuf K. Dawood

Dawood is best known for his column in Sunday Nation newspaper, The Surgeon’s Dairy. He is a surgeon by profession and has written many stories about his work. Dawood has also published a number of books such as The Last Word, Return to Paradise.

 

Grace Ogot

The late Grace Ogot is one of the pioneer female writers from Kenya. She is said to be the first female African writer to publish a novel in English. Her most popular titles include Land without thunder, The Strange Bride and The Promised Land.

 

Kinyanjui Kombani

I discovered Kinyanjui’s books though our library and I have been hooked to his writing since then. Kinyanjui writes fiction based on reality. For instance, in his book, The Last Villains of Molo, he wrote about post-election violence in Molo. Den of Inequities is about extrajudicial killings. This author also writes children fiction.

 

John Kiriamiti

I just love Mr. Kiriamiti and his books. I think this is one author who every Kenyan has read. Even non-readers know Kiriamiti.  Before becoming an author, Kiriamiti was a bank robber. It is said that some of his earlier works were actually handwritten in his prison cell on tissue paper before being typed after his release. His books are about a bank robber (but of-course) terrorizing Nairobi and other cities in Kenya. The most popular one is My Life in Crime. Other include, Son of Fate, My Life with a Criminal: Milly’s Story and My Life in Prison. I don’t know if it is his writing, the addictive nature of his stories or just the thrill of it all but this is one of the most popular Kenyan authors.

Of course, these are only eleven authors but there are many more who I didn’t list here. They include; Auma Obama(sister to Barrack Obama), Jeff Koinange( You can read a review of Through My African Eyes here), Mwangi Ruheni, Al Kags, Ali Mazrui, Ken Walibora and Yvonne Awuor.

Next Sunday, I will be discussing books set in Kenya but written by non-Kenyan authors.

Have you read any Kenyan Literature? What do you know about Kenya?

 

“Most people write me off when they see me.
They do not know my story.
They say I am just an African.
They judge me before they get to know me.
What they do not know is
The pride I have in the blood that runs through my veins;
The pride I have in my rich culture and the history of my people;
The pride I have in my strong family ties and the deep connection to my community;
The pride I have in the African music, African art, and African dance…

― Idowu Koyenikan, Wealth for All Africans: How Every African Can Live the Life of Their Dreams