Big prophesy or is it?

By Caroline Nyanga

Do Kenyans ever learn? This is the question US based Kenyan author Sam Okello is posing.

"Two years ago - we saw violence - people arming themselves against their neighbours of decades, children and women uprooted from their homes, houses reduced to ashes, blood spilled as death toll topped 1133. The question that still remains unanswered to most Kenyans is do we ever learn? He asks.

It is the same question posed in his new book Mau Mau Prophecy.

In the fictional book published in the US, UK and Kenya the author says Kenya needs a leader to lead the country into the ‘promised land’.

Sam Okello’s book

Capture emotions

Though he says it is fictional, the book, like Okello’s previous publications, is likely to cause a heated political debate.

According to the Indiana based author the book ‘captures emotions during the post-election violence and tries to put things in perspective.

"I wrote the book because I felt there was something terribly wrong with my country – especially after the 2007 elections. Mine was to therefore, try and capture what was going on through the minds of ordinary Kenyans besides reminding politicians that the country is bigger than a few individuals," he says.

Okello, who is back in the country after 20 years, says the book will be launched soon to give Kenyans a glance at the ‘prophesy’ he makes reference to.

"I am working with a few individuals from the office of the Prime Minister among other people who will ensure the message is passed on to the common man at any cost," he says.

Okello says his new book focuses deeply on the Mau Mau era and how its events relate to the current politican scenario.

"The book targets everyone from the ordinary Kenyans to politicians. In the book, I revisit a prophecy that foretold the coming of a great leader," he says.

Literary critics will be waiting to ascertain whether the work will fit the bill of fictional work or propaganda literature.

Whatever the case, Okello says his book offers vital lessons for the country. The author says he is working on a film of the same title.

But then could this be his strategy to campaign for the Prime Minister or just a publicity stunt? Okello says the characters’ names have been changed for security reasons.

Harsh criticism

Critics may ask, why hide names of fictitious characters?

The author says: " I knew it would face harsh criticism once it was ready and so I had to find a way of trying to make it look less of a campaign idea and get readers understand what the common Kenyan mwananchi was feeling."

An author of ten books mostly political thrillers Okello has published books such as A Shinning Star in Darkness with Marianne Briner, The Night Bob Died, I Watched An American Sunset, A Crown of Fire and Her Excellency among others. The Shinning Star in Darkness caused some disquiet for claiming to reconstruct the events that led to the death of Former Foreign Affairs Minister, Robert Ouko.

Another parody

"They did. It was February 12, 1990. Bob was killed on February 13. His charred remains were discovered on February 16. Those are the facts. Since Bob died, investigations, especially by Superintendent Eastwood, have revealed conclusively that Nick pulled the trigger. And going by what I know about him, there was no way in the world he would pass up the pleasure of pulling the trigger on his enemy. He had to do it by himself, quench his insatiable appetite for revenge," reads a passage in the book.

Her Excellency is on the personality of the First Lady and was published in UK and US.

"The book is a parody -where everybody thinks that the country is in the hands of a brilliant economist but in reality it’s in the hands of his wife," he says.

Okello says the publishers sent a copy to the First Lady. He says the book will be available in local bookstores soon.