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Say My Name and Other African Stories from Home and Away
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Taboos of Abagusii of Kenya
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The Armageddon and Other Stories
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The unpredictable weather patterns in Africa, the rise of earth’s surface temperature, the melting of polar ice caps, rising of sea levels and the blazing wildfires in the Americas and Australia call for urgent action to conserve Mother Nature or risk Armageddon, the final destruction of the planet. This is the subject that runs through this compilation of stories to reiterate Wangari Maathai’s assertion that the future of the planet concerns all of us and we should do what we can to protect it. It is the intention of debut and established authors of this anthology to perpetuate Maathai’s legacy to avert Mother
Natures’ vengeance against humanity. The Armageddon and Other Stories, therefore, breaks away from conventional social and political themes on the African literary scene to depict the demerits of deforestation, pollution, logging, the relegation of climate change, and other concerns of ecocriticism. At the crux of the anthology is the argument that the tendency to use financial profits to measure the success of commercial institutions without considering their role in environmental conservation is misleading. – Andrew Nyongesa.
Air, water, and earth are the basic amenities of life. Humans have constantly tampered with nature. Cyclical processes that nature has designed for resource conservation are fragrantly interfered with. As a result, the threat to life has been increased due to human activities in the environment. Some of these are air, water, and noise pollution; deforestation, blind industrialization, over-population; waste disposal, climate change, global warming, the greenhouse effect, and the imbalance established in the biosphere. The stories herein serve to spread environmental awareness in our society as well as in our daily routine life. It is necessary to save and protect our environment. – John Mugubi.
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Bilomelele bye Lukingi: Poems of Mt. Elgon
And O the lofty blowing of the horns
At various stations of the homeward journey
When the horn-bearers suddenly –
Blared their message to the mountain
Sounded their object to the plains
Announced their cause to the sunset
Declared their purpose to the sunrise –
Bv…..u!
Bv…..u!
Bv…..u!
Bv……………u!
Signifying that in the sundry homesteads
Of the candidates returning from afar,
An impending deed was to be done –
That would never be undone or done again!
This is the apex of Wangusa’s poetic career to date. As a category, the work is characterised by being phenomenally rooted in indigenous culture. And besides being strongly lyrical, it is dynamic, dramatic poetry. There are here multiple voices, various personas in life’s problematic arena. It is poetry not to be just recited but to be performed for maximum effect.
Beyond the Blackboard: A Testimonial
Beyond the Blackboard – A Testimonial is more than a teacher’s tale. It is the odyssey of a dream that refused to be silenced, carried across the Gusii highlands, the valleys, chalks and blackboards that became windows of opportunity for many Kenyans. Born in colonial Kenya to a family that did not have much, Mwalimu Nyong’a Obuba’s first classroom door opened only when he was ten. Though late, he was armed with grit, faith, and the unwavering support of his uncle, Meshack Nyanchama, rising to become a high school principal who shaped the future of many.
After serving as primary and high school teacher, Nyong’a was elevated to the principalship of a nascent Kiabonyoru High School. For two decades at the helm, he transformed challenges into triumphs, nurturing students who later went on to stride into boardrooms, science laboratories, classrooms, and other positions of power and influence. Beyond being an educator, his students regarded him as a compass, mentor, and a father as the school became a powerhouse in academic and extracurricular activities.
Now in retirement, Nyong’a looks back with gratitude. He bears witness to the quiet, world-changing power of teaching. This book is a tribute to resilience. It is an anthem to the nobility of education, and a reminder that the truest legacy is not inscribed in stone, but in the lives of others.
What Others Say
“This inspirational autobiography offers a deeply personal and motivating account of his teaching and life experiences. The author’s engaging writing style makes one feel as if one were hearing the story firsthand, leaving one inspired and motivated.” – Sylvia Okweba, Editor.
“Mwalimu’s life as lived and documented reveals the outcomes of compassion, diplomacy, and fairness. His lessons in kindness and firmness will inspire the readers and change the mindset of others.” – James Maganda, Regional Manager, Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) - Kisii Cluster.
The Unforgotten
Imali Abala’s The Unforgotten is a memorial work of fiction that captures the fate of Desi Makhungu in the face of tragedy and cultural gender disparities. When her son Jordan Ūmbisi leaves home in search of greener pastures, following the footsteps of his older brother, it is a moment of hope for better days ahead. He leaves behind his pregnant wife and aging parents who all remain optimistic that he will be successful and help them along! That is never to be! He completely loses ties with his family even when tragedy strikes back home. Now widowed, Desi faces the full gravity of living as a woman with no male figure in the home! What would be her fate in the days to come with neither husband nor son present? Who would build her a home when the old one falls apart? Would cultural practices ‘bend’ enable her to inherit her husband’s land?
Kivuli cha Sakawa
Kivuli cha Sakawa (Sakawa's Ghost) , written in Kiswahili, the major lingua franca in the East African region, is a story about one of Africa's legendary heroes who was at the forefront in the battle against colonialism and its evils. Legend has it that he was a seer and that many of his predictions have come to pass.
In this this story, Sakawa finds himself at crossroads following the death of his father, a prominent leader in his own right. Conservative elders in his community who feel threatened by this youngster destined to be a great leader fight him tooth and nail to subdue his shinning star. Will they succeed?
Sakawa Ng'iti indeed existed and lived among the Abagusii community in western Kenya at the turn of 19th Century (1800). The unfolding episode in this book did indeed take place, although probably in slightly a different way. By chronicling this episode, the author gives the story a new lease of artistic life and offers opportunity for others to comments and/or offer versions of the story as they understand it.
The Gusii of Kenya by John S. Akama
The Gusii of Kenya: Social, Economic, Cultural, Political & Judicial Perspectives provides in-depth topical insights of the Gusii (also known as the Kisii) of Kenya. The book captures historical aspects of the Gusii and how they ended up occupying their present lands. It enunciates the group’s cultural, political and economic organization that are core to the group’s identify and overall survival. Reading the book would provide understanding of some noticeable elements of these perspectives that persist to date. Cultural aspects such as the rites of passage and weddings, part of core identity elements of a people, are well articulated. Social organization, starting at the homestead to clan to community level, was intricately woven to form a coherence whole that defined the Gusii. Indeed, this also formed a basis of core elements of code of conduct (chinsoni) and justice as traditionally administered.
The book also raises a number of questions regarding the core character of the Gusii such as lack of central authority and the implications this has had on the community over time. One can only speculate the trajectory of history that would have been had the Gusii organized themselves differently.
Tessy and the Mango Tree
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Welcome to 21st century Kenyan cuisine or, to be less dramatic, modern Kenyan cooking. Now, more than ever before, you can prepare all types of food from any part of the world, right in your kitchen.
All it takes is the right recipes and a little spark of adventure to try something exciting and different. We have partnered easy-to-do international cuisine with some of our own healthy, wholesome foods to create meals that are simply sumptuous. This book is a collection of dishes that combine to form full meals.
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Brief Summary
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Replenishing the Earth
Brief Summary
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