Mines & Mind Fields: My Spoken Words 

The Untold Story of the Gusii of Kenya: Survival Techniques and Resistance to the Establishment of British Colonial Rule. There is little written about the resistance to the establishment of the British colonial rule in Gusii. The scant knowledge available on this historical phenomenon in Kenya is inaccurate and intentionally distorted in favour of the colonial master. The truth, contrary to the incorrect histories presented by the British, is that the Kings African Rival soldiers suffered a humiliating defeat in their initial encounter with Gusii warriors. It was a landmark historical event.

Female Circumcision among the Abagusii of Kenya captures the traditional role of women initiation and associated rites of passage among the Abagusii community. The journey to womanhood was deemed incomplete without circumcision (“the cut”), a tradition practiced Abagusii for many centuries. Yet even in the face of knowledge and understanding of the harmful effects of “the cut”, the majority of Abagusii, like many other communities that practice the rite, still sticks to the old practice, mainly because of taboos and societal acceptance. The author details women initiation in Gusii, discusses efforts to end the practice and outlines an Alternative Rite of Passage that doesn’t involve “the cut”. He further suggests a practical approach to the alternative rite of passage via workshops, and advocacy of churches, administration and opinion leaders in the community.

This work is useful reading for those that wish to understand how initiation rites of passage impacted individuals. It is a good reference for social scientists, development partners, government and social change agents that seek to understand and design ways in which initiation can be actualized without harming the initiates.

What others Say

“The author was born and raised in Gusii where Female Genital Mutilation is rampant and has resisted change. He has given in this book first-hand information on what Female Cut is, its origin, how it is done in Gusii and he has given an alternative rite of passage into womanhood without the cut which is an integral section in the book. The book is an achievement by the author as well as all Kenyans who do not support female circumcision like me.” – Hon. Linah Jebii Kilimo (Mrs.) M.P, Marakwet East, Minister of State Office of the Vice President and Ministry of Regional Development.

“The book is a good reference material for Social Scientists, Researchers, Human Rights campaigners and for Anti Female Genital Mutilation supporters. The author clearly states in his book that he does not support Female Cut but his grandmother sees no reason to stop it since she was and most women in her community have undergone the enduring ritual. This family division makes me ask the last question: ‘would you really like yours daughters not to be circumcised?’ ” – Marc Lacey, Director and Correspondent of New York Times.

“The book reading committee of the Seventh Day Adventist Church recommended this book to be used in all meetings, seminars and workshops in Nyamira Conference and beyond. The book has relevant and accurate notes about the current traditional and cultural practices of Abagusii people as a whole. It details the side effects of the Female Cut; it further proposes the Alterative Rite of Passage into womanhood without “the cut”, an idea that we have employed in our churches. I grew up in Christian background hence I was not exposed to Abagusii traditions of circumcision and its rituals. The book lays out clearly what happened in such ceremonies in a coherent and flowing manner.

In Kenya, the name ‘Wanjiku’ epitomizes the ordinary person, the citizen, in the context of national socio-political and socio-economic discourse. The origins of the name are in the often heated national debates on political, economic, and rights-related issues where elite self-interest often

takes precedence. Aligned with economic thinking from western schools of thought, the elite often acts without much attention to Wanjiku’s daily challenges of survival or completely ignores her well-developed modes of survival as a demonstration of a sound system worth paying attention to.

In Wanjiku in Global Development: Everyday Ordinary Women Livelihood Economy in Kenya, Kinyanjui captures Wanjiku’s systematic approach to day-to-day activities that undergirded participants’ and society’s common good. Call it the Wanjiku Business Model. In the true spirit of Ubuntu, market women (Wanjiku) operate within a set of unwritten rules that assure optimization of collective good from interacting among themselves and with others. The Wanjiku Business Model is well illustrated through a number of case studies that further capture its sound basis.

Kinyanjui presents a major lesson we can learn from Wanjiku, namely: life does not have to be about cutthroat competition, winners and losers!

Shifting Sands is a gripping narration by Kemunto aka Kemu” to her three girlfriends, all of different cultural heritage. Kemu aspires to be a writer but life with its vicissitudes doesn’t make her dream an easy one. We follow the four young girls as they mature in this adventure, growing up and facing the world. Their encounters, surprises and cultural intricacies make for good reading.

Their intertwined lives from a young age, and their different cultural backgrounds and upbringing offer interesting insights. Kemu and Myra are Kenyan Africans while Shilpa is third-generation Kenyan-Indian and Latifah is third-generation Kenyan-Arab. The latter two face questions of nationality all the time, despite that their families have been in the country for generations.

Shifting Sands is an intriguing tale of enduring encounters of living a moral and ethical life, placing its own challenges on friendships cemented from early childhood and school. How will the four ladies’ friendship survive?

Shifting Sand’s various strands of narratives are compelling and herald the coming of age of a gifted and talented writer who brings women and children experiences hauntingly to life. In this tale we get contrasting insights of issues that impact women, children and relationships. Tradition and cultural practices of old are challenged in the face of modernity while age-old wisdom, like that from Kemu’s grandmother (Magokoro) and father, appear immutable.

What Others Say

“Mombasa, a tapestry city where east meets west and north meets south, is the metonymy that gives Moraa Gitaa the opportunity to indict archaic cultural beliefs, government authorities, extremism, the suppression of women, and a whole slew of questionable practices in modern Kenya. Kemunto’s voice is that of the archetypal, dignified and upright woman everywhere in the developing world, not just that of the African woman. Quite well said.” – Charles Phebih-Agyekum, author and book editor.

“Shifting Sands is a powerful, compelling and gripping narrative employing a mature mastery of the English language that leaves the reader yearning for more.” – Excerpt from judges’ comments, 2008 National Book Development Council of Kenya Literary Awards.

“Moraa Gitaa’s Shifting Sands will add value to the national discourse on gender discrimination, inter-generational tensions, socioeconomic marginalization, HIV and AIDS, the injustices suffered by the poor in this country, corruption, transnational and global connections and their impact on the lives of Kenyans and other nationals residing in the country.” – Comparative Literature Lecturer at a Kenyan university.