Khamisi's book: The hot potato that bookshops have declined to stock

Joe Khamisi, author of the book "The Wretched Africans" during the launch of the book in Nairobi on April 07 2016. [David Njaaga/Standard]

Bookshops in Nairobi have shunned a book that lays bare the depths of corruption in the country’s four administrations for fear of reprisals.

Although the demand for the book, Looters and Grabbers, 54 Years of Corruption and Plunder by the Elite, 1963-2017, continues to rise following debate on social media, The Standard did not find a single copy in bookshops.

The book by former Bahari MP Joe Khamisi looks at the mega scandals that have dogged Kenya since independence. Without mincing words, Mr Khamisi describes how the scandals were hatched and executed by those in power, either directly or through their proxies.

Hot potato

The fear by booksellers is borne out of sweeping statements such as, “Corruption and bribery were a way of life under all the four regimes in Kenya. Neither Jomo Kenyatta nor Daniel arap Moi nor Mwai Kibaki nor Uhuru Kenyatta managed to extinguish the overwhelming fire of graft.”

Mr Protus Lijodi of Prestige Bookshop along Mama Ngina Street described the book as a ‘hot potato’ that no one was willing to sell.

“I have not read the book but what I have heard is that it is explosive. I am told it names big people in society, placing them at the centre of scandals. This has instilled fear that we could easily be targets for selling the book.

“Some of the people mentioned in that book are still alive and kicking. I don’t want any trouble,” said Mr Lijodi, adding that most booksellers were of the opinion that the book was a potential litigation landmine.

“Here we are smarting from a bruising legal battle for selling another book, Kenya: A History since Independence by Charles Hornsby. Although that suit is now behind us, we fear stocking another controversial book that could invite legal consequences.

At another bookshop along Moi Avenue, our inquiry on the book’s availability was greeted with suspicious looks. After hushed exchanges, one of the attendants approached this writer and said she could only provide details on how we could buy it online and have it delivered. She said she was certain that no bookshop had it in Nairobi.

“It sounds like a popular book because we have many people asking for it daily. Unfortunately, our boss said we cannot stock it,” she said.

Khamisi has divided the book into four sections that detail the scandals that happened under each of the four presidents’ watch.

The section on Jomo Kenyatta tackles irregular and illegal land acquisition as well as poaching of wildlife while the Moi section talks about the millionaires made in his administration.

The Anglo Leasing and Goldenberg scandals are dealt with under Kibaki while the NYS and Eurobond questions are illuminated under the section devoted to Uhuru’s regime.

Failing Kenyans

In the last chapters, Khamisi tackles corruption in the counties and criticises religious leaders and those in academia for failing to take a stand against the vice. He sums up the book by talking about the ‘farce’ of Kenya elections.

Khamisi yesterday said bookshop managers who had failed to stock the book were failing Kenyans interested in reading it. He said those bold enough to stock it were welcome to place an order.

“I know this is not an offer that anyone will be willing to take up, but in case there is anyone out there they can contact me,” said Khamisi, who added that demand for the book had exceeded his wildest expectations.

“We had run out of stock but we now have enough for those who may wish to order it online,” he said during a telephone interview.

Other books by Khamisi include his memoir Dash Before Dusk: A Slave Descendants Journey in Freedom and The Wretched Africans: A Study of Rabai and Freetown Slave Settlements.