Kenya. Kenyan Books

A Criminal Made in Mbeere: The First Born who Failed is a candid account of John Ngari's life in crime. Written with remorse while on death row, the author traces his journey from the beginnings that led to the many times he was imprisoned and the disastrous impact it had on his life. Often graphic, the book captures what typically goes wrong once a person has 'tasted' jail. For some, one could conclude that jail is a 'college' that hardens criminals. Blessed with talent and a quick thinking mind, Ngari had many opportunities to tread and stay on the law-abiding path. More often than not, the temptation for crime won, leading to many avoidable offences: making and selling illicit liquor, breaking into businesses, plotting elimination of a lover's spouse and more! How did this happen? What were the origins? What were the causes? Was is the family environment? Was it the community? Or rather the incarceration that turned a petty thief to a sophisticated criminal?... These are some of the questions for the reader. The consequences for the author were devastating: loss of a parent in an inferno, the murder of a young brother, near-death experience following a combat with a potential victim of robbery, never-ending incarcerations, loss of property, and above all, facing a capital offence that would have resulted in execution. How Ngari lived to tell this story is a matter of wonderment: was it providence or simply being lucky? … you, the reader, will judge. A must read for criminologists, law enforcement, prison systems and wider society, this book offers rare insights into the mind of a criminal, how law enforcement works and life in prison, including thriving business in the prison system, love relationships (in and out of the prison system), practicalities of surviving incarcerations, and much more.