Biography a portrait of Knut, not Ng’ang’a

By Ferdinand Mwongela

Francis Ng’ang’a’s biography, Battles and Triumphs: Portrait of a Modern Trade Unionist, by Mbothu Kamau is another in a long line of biographies and autobiographies of influential local and international figures who are increasingly churning out their life stories to a receptive readership eager to learn from them.

In this text, Kamau traces the life of Francis Ng’ang’a, a man who painted a larger than life image of himself at the helm of the giant Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) after he took over from another powerful trade unionist Ambrose Adeya Adongo in 2001.

The biography with a foreword from Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Cotu) Secretary General Francis Atwoli explores major national and personal events in the life of the trade unionist that shaped him into the man he his.

Born in 1947 against the background of colonialisation and a freedom movement gaining ground, the image painted is that of a self made man who has come through some of Kenya’s toughest challenges to become a man to reckon with in trade unionism, a quasi-political field that often locks horns with the establishment.

Unfortunately, the story staggers, moving backwards and forwards leading to a lot of repetition. For instance Ng’ang’a’s birth is repeated over and over and whether this is to foreground certain events or is an oversight it is not clear.

Irrelevant history

In the opening chapters the book appears more like a history of trade unionism and Knut. Although this history cannot be ignored, as this is what shaped Ng’ang’a, too much attention is paid to Knut such that it overshadows the development of Ng’ang’a’s story, the subject of the biography.

However the essence of Ng’ang’a the trade unionist is captured comprehensively.

Ng’ang’a the man — and not the trade unionist — is however rarely seen and mentions of his personal life are glossed over.

Apart from telling the reader of the passing on of his father at a young age and his elder brother’s taking over the role of guardian, specifics are avoided. This is, however, a pit hole that many biographies are wont to fall into given the telling of the story by a third person. Compared to such texts as Oginga Odinga’s Not yet Uhuru or Richard Branson’s autobiography Losing My Virginity that gives an uncanny insight into the private life of the man unknown to the public since the public life is more or less documented and known.

The author tries to fill this gap by talking to people close to the trade unionist. Mrs Ng’ang’a gives the other side of the man, the family man, but this is probably the only serious illustration of the private side of the man.

As expected in books in such genres the portrait is that of an almost flawless man, almost a mythical figure able to make things happen. However the author praises the subject so much it comes out shallow. The refrain of ‘Ng’ang’a the towering, over achieving figure’ occurs time and again in the text. Also off-putting are the photos. Almost all of them are distorted or fuzzy giving the book an unprofessional look.

All in all, the book is a recommended read for those interested in the history of trade unionism and Knut. But it does not exactly give a complete picture of Ng’ang’a.