Publisher Description

An extraordinary account of how a laborer's son rose to challenge the power of despots, I Refuse to Die is both the autobiography of one gifted man who rose above the horrors of colonization, and an uncensored history of modern Kenya. The book is infused with the freedom songs of the Kenyan people, as well as dream prophecy and folk tales that are part of Kenya's rich storytelling tradition. Tracing the roots of the Mau Mau rebellion, wa Wamwere follows the evolution and degeneration of Jomo Kenyatta and the rise of Daniel arap Moi.In 1979, wa Wamwere won a seat in the parliament, where he represented the economically depressed Nakuru district for three years. An outspoken activist and journalist, wa Wamwere was framed and detained on three separate instances, spending thirteen years in prison, where he was tortured but not broken. His mother and others led a hunger strike to free him and fellow political prisoners. Their efforts brought about a show trial at which Koigi was sentenced to four more years in prison and "six strokes of the cane," and escaped Kenya-and probably execution-only through the exertions of human rights groups and the government of Norway.

Author Biography

Koigi wa Wamwere is a political activist and writer, whose scheduled execution was averted only by the efforts of the Norwegian government and human rights activists around the world. Kerry Kennedy Cuomo is a human rights activist, the founder of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Human Rights and author of the book Speak Truth to Power.

Review

"This strange and powerful work mixes memoir, social history, polemic, and manifesto … A terrifying work of enormous importance that contrasts humanity with bestiality, dignity with depravity." –Kirkus (Starred Review)


"Fascinating … It is difficult to complete I Refuse to Die without admiring Koigi's selflessness and courage." –Washington Post Book World


"Gripping … Despite his personal suffering and Kenya's struggles through colonial and postcolonial strife, wa Wamwere exhibits resilience and optimism in his inspiring autobiography." –Booklist


"… a passionate and poignant testimony to the struggle of one man—and by that I also mean one family and one people—to remember and survive the evil lessons of history. But it is also much more than that. Koigi wa Wamwere, in life and print, challenges us to make freedom a word that means something tangible for all." –Rain Taxi

Review Quote

"This strange and powerful work mixes memoir, social history, polemic, and manifesto ... A terrifying work of enormous importance that contrasts humanity with bestiality, dignity with depravity." - Kirkus (Starred Review) "Fascinating ... It is difficult to complete I Refuse to Die without admiring Koigi's selflessness and courage." -Washington Post Book World "Gripping ... Despite his personal suffering and Kenya's struggles through colonial and postcolonial strife, wa Wamwere exhibits resilience and optimism in his inspiring autobiography." -Booklist "... a passionate and poignant testimony to the struggle of one man--and by that I also mean one family and one people--to remember and survive the evil lessons of history. But it is also much more than that. Koigi wa Wamwere, in life and print, challenges us to make freedom a word that means something tangible for all." -Rain Taxi

Details