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Facing Mount Kenya, first published in 1938, is a monograph on the life and customs of the Gikuyu people of central Kenya prior to their contact with Europeans. It is unique in anthropological literature for it gives an account of the social institutions and religious rites of an African people, permeated by the emotions that give to customs and observances their meaning. It is characterised by both insight and a tinge of romanticism. The author, proud of his African blood and ways of thought, takes the reader through a thorough and clear picture of Gikuyu life and customs, painting an almost utopian picture of their social norms and the sophisticated codes by which all aspects of the society were governed. This book is one of a kind, capturing and documenting traditions fast disappearing. It is therefore a must-read for all who want to learn about African culture.
Dash before Dusk: A slave descendant's journey in freedom is an account of the life and times of Joe Khamisi, a Kenyan slave descendant whose ancestors were taken captive by Arab traders from Nyasaland and Tanganyika, rescued at sea by the British, and settled at Rabai, a slave encampment along the East African coast. Khamisi, a former journalist, diplomat and politician, narrates the significant contributions former slaves and their descendants made in the transformation of Kenya into an independent state and their continuing struggle for recognition.
Narrated from the point of view of Seun, an orphan from the Niger Delta, Stillborn is not only a tale of turmoil and tragedy; desperation and despair; but also one of optimism and opportunity. It revolves around the lives of five characters: Seun, his mother Ranti, herself a girl of limited privilege; Seunís lover, Aisha, a refugee from the religious clashes in the North; and Emeka from the South-east, a war deserter who becomes an unlikely hero. Their lives intersect in the residence of Dolapo, a civil rights lawyer from the South-west. And the five lives come together to paint a vivid picture of Nigeria since its infancy fifty years ago, meandering into the complexity of the lives and communities of present-day Nigeria. In the end, Stillborn traverses the various political epochs that have shaped Nigeria, and by extension, Africa in general, right from the pre-independence period and through the fears, frustrations, hopes and dreams that have characterized this fragile continent.
What did it take to get hundreds of Kenyan students, thirsting for higher education, into US colleges in the late 1950s and early 1960s? It took perseverance, help from countless people, and the overwhelming desire of the students themselves. This is an engaging and insightful book about an important and ignored slice of history. When we think of vital historical airlifts, minds race back to the Berlin Airlift. Robert Stephens takes us to another American-sponsored airlift that brought a generation of future African leaders to American shores for higher education. This effort profoundly altered the lives of these men and women, the development of East African nations, and the perception of America. At a time when the world struggled to understand the value of 'soft' as opposed to military power, this book offers a valuable historical model. Set during the last days of colonialism in Kenya, the book documents the development of human talent that would foster a majority-ruled independent Kenya. Its focus on Africans ñ their individual and collective biographies, aspirations and intermittent assistance from the US and others - is the story.
What determines the African social structure? What does this mean for the ethical orientation? Can the African Spirituality be considered to be 'metaphysical? Conversely, what are the foundations of the west that determine society, religion, politics and science? What do the mental and cultural differences mean for the relationship between Africa and the West? What impact do they specifically have on development cooperation? These are some of the questions Danner attempts to grapple with in "End of Arrogance: Africa and the West - Understanding their differences". A critical and honest observer will often notice a subtle condescension by Westerners towards Africans and resentment on the part of Africans towards the West. Where does this tensed and unfortunate relationship originate from? There are two essential reasons: Africa and the West have a common history that can neither be forgotten nor forgiven by Africans - contempt, subjugation, and exploitation through slave trade, missionary, and colonization. Both have never been able to appreciate or understand the cultural and mental orientation of each other. An approach of mutual understanding - contrary to quantitative measuring - might help counter the arrogance of the West and the distrust by Africans.
Challenging The Rulers: A Leadership Model for Good Governance brings to the fore the issue of leadership in developing countries like Kenya. Citing specific examples, it singles out bad leadership as the cause of stagnation and underdevelopment in Africa. This book advocates for a serious discourse on leadership as the most critical factor in a national quest for good governance and prosperity. Unlike other writers who bemoan the state of affairs in Africa without offering alternatives, the authors propose a leadership model that can ensure good governance. This is based on the premise that good leadership means good governance hence reasonable economic growth and development. Values and principles of good leadership are outlined. In 2010, Kenya took its pride of place among nations by enacting a new progressive constitution which among other things provides for a devolved government. However, the authors argue that good laws, structures, systems and policies simply provide the infrastructure for good governance. To move Kenya forward, good men and women of vision, who are committed to servant leadership, must rise up to activate these laws to bring about good governance as a means of improving people's quality of life. In a nutshell, this book advocates for reforms in leadership. Challenging The Rulers is a challenge to all leaders - present and aspiring - to adopt this leadership model. To ordinary citizens, it is a call to take necessary action to elect good leaders.
Steven Wondu left school at a young age and strayed into the Anyanya Army for a short stint before he was released to wander in the bushes of Eastern follows Wondu's trails from the bushes of South Sudan and attempts to synthesize the historical precedents leading to the long war in the Sudan. Written at the dawn of a new nation for the South Sudanese the author conveys the depressing impact of war on individual and family life. He captures the intricate reality where distrust and fear of Muslims and Arabs found root in the minds of the South Sudanese. From bush to BUSH is the story of Steven Wondu's outstanding life journey and the story of the turbulent journey to the birth of a new nation. Steven Wondu is a graduate of several Universities: Makerere in Uganda, Nairobi in Kenya, Reading in the United Kingdom, George Washington in the United States, and the Kenya Institute of Administration. He is a former Sudanese Ambassador to Japan, and has co authored the book Battle for Peace in Sudan. Ambassador Wondu is currently the Auditor General of South Sudan.
Should Remi, the first of his tribe to go to university, return to his people from the city? Should he return to Thoni, his brother's widow, whom he has had to marry under tribal custom? Or should he continue to be a 'black hermit' in the town, visiting the night clubs with his friend, Jane? Should he be supporting the Africanist Party when people feel that the colonial oppression has just been replaced by another form? These are the dramatic conflicts in this play. Ngugi wa Thiong'o is best known internationally as a novelist as well as a playwright. He wrote "This Time Tomorrow" (published in African Short Stories), The Black Hermit (1968), and, with Micere Githae Mugo, The Trial of Dedan Kimathi (1976), all of which had great social and political impact. His detention without trial in 1978 was probably due to the staging of the Gikuyu play, "Ngaahika Ndeenda" at the Kamirithu Cultural Centre, co-authored with Ngugu wa Mirii. The play is published in English as I will Marry when I Want. Ngugi continues to strongly advocate writing in indigenous languages. His two titles - Caaitani Mutharabaini and A Grain of Wheat - were among the recipients of Africa's 100 Best Books of the 20th Century Award.
This is the story of the peace process in Sudan. It is told by one of Kenya's most distinguished writers, well placed to narrate the extraordinary story of how peace in Africa's largest country was mediated over a period of over five years by General Lazaro Sumbeiywo, a passionate and indefatigable soldier. Sumbeiywo managed to achieve what top-level international diplomats had failed to do: to reconcile the positions represented by the President of the Khartoum Government, Omar Hassan Al-Bashir, on the one hand, and on the other, by the late Colonel John Garang, leader of the southern-based resistance movement/army, the SPLM/A, until his untimely death in 2005. The process culminated in the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in January 2005, which effectively ended over two decades of conflict, and marked a major breakthrough in the history of the African continent.
Dieudonnes life is spun from the threads of one of Africa's grand moral dilemmas, in which personal responsibility is intertwined with the social catharsis occasioned by ambitions of dominance and ever diminishing circles. We encounter Dieudonne at the tail end of his service as 'houseboy' to the Toubaabys, a patronising expatriate couple. In the company of a lively assortment of characters and luring music at the Grand Canari Bar, Dieudonne recounts his life. As he peels layer after layer of his vicissitudes, he depicts the everyday resilience of the African on a continent caught in the web of predatory forces. Yet, this enchanting failure also celebrates the infinite capacity of the African to find happiness and challenge victimhood.
After completing her undergraduate studies Monika Saliku anxiously waits to see what shape her career will take. For her it is a foregone conclusion that she will get an appointment in the city and savour the familiar throb of urban life. However she receives a setback when she is appointed to a bucolic outpost settling for a career she loathes. As she journeys to the small dusty town her struggle to self-realisation has just begun.
Christian theologians in Africa are faced with three conflicting worlds: Christian faith, African culture and modern culture. In spite of the commitment of Christian theologians to live by biblical teaching, there is a tendency for them to become involved with issues in their environments, causing tension. The salient issues confronting Christianity in Africa are examined from an evangelical standpoint. Eighteen African scholars, from Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, together with colleagues from the US, contribute perspectives grouped into four parts: The Task of African Christian Theology; The Foundations of African Christian Theology; Christ and the Salvation in African Christian Theology; and The Spirit, the Church and the Future in African Christian Theology.
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