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Since independence from Great Britain in 1963, Kenya has survived five decades as a functioning nation-state, holding regular elections; its borders and political system intact and avoiding open war with its neighbours and military rule internally. It has been a favoured site for Western aid, trade, investment and tourism and has remained a close security partner for Western governments. However, Kenya's successive governments have failed to achieve adequate living conditions for most of its citizens; violence, corruption and tribalism have been ever-present, and its politics have failed to transcend its history. The decisions of the early years of independence and the acts of its leaders in...
Since independence from Great Britain in 1963, Kenya has survived five decades as a functioning nation-state, holding regular elections; its borders and political system intact and avoiding open war with its neighbours and military rule internally. It has been a favoured site for Western aid, trade, investment and tourism and has remained a close security partner for Western governments. However, Kenya's successive governments have failed to achieve adequate living conditions for most of its citizens; violence, corruption and tribalism have been ever-present, and its politics have failed to transcend its history. The decisions of the early years of independence and the acts of its leaders in...
A relentless competitor, Rogers Hornsby--arguably the finest right-handed hitter in baseball's history--was supremely successful on the baseball field but, in many ways, a failure off it. In this biography, Charles Alexander turns his skilled eye to this complex individual, weaving the stories of his personal and professional life with a lively history of the sport.
In 2007 a disputed election in Kenya erupted into a two-month political crisis that led to the deaths of more than a thousand people and the displacement of almost seven hundred thousand. Much of the violence fell along ethnic lines, the principal perpetrators of which were the Kalenjin, who lashed out at other communities in the Rift Valley. What makes this episode remarkable compared to many other instances of ethnic violence is that the Kalenjin community is a recent construct: the group has only existed since the mid-twentieth century. Drawing on rich archival research and vivid oral testimony, I Say to You is a timely analysis of the creation, development, political relevance, and popul...
Investigates how the 1992 multiparty election forced on the east African country by western powers and greeted euphorically by Kenyans as a breakthrough to a stable democracy, proved instead to be a triumph for the despotic Moi regime. Among the factors mentioned are overconfidence by the new opposition parties, an underestimation of Moi's popularity and political resilience, and the government's ability to manipulate affairs in places western observers did not know where to look or could not afford to go to. Paper edition (unseen), $19.95. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Nobel Peace Prize laureate, fighter for democratic space, founder of the Green Belt Movement, and inspiration for women and grassroots activists throughout the world, the environmentalist Wangari Maathai (1940–2011) was a complex and multifaceted figure. In this book, fellow Kenyan Namulundah Florence offers an expansive examination of Maathai’s role as a public figure, educator inside and beyond the academy, symbol of resistance to oppression, and very visible woman in a patriarchal society. Examining Maathai through the lens of feminist theory, Florence unpacks the social and political background of Maathai’s life and work and places her within the context of women’s struggles in Africa for self-determination and access to education and political power. In so doing, Florence reveals the complexities and many dimensions of this fascinating and extraordinary voice for women in Africa and beyond.
These essays are based on the author's writings since the 1980's, but they are rewritten and reconsidered here around the unifying theme of the book's title.
The theological treasures gathered here show the intriguing coherence of an unfolding vision. Earthed in the ministry of a priest, missionary, academic theologian, and well-travelled bishop, the five settings provide 16 chapters written over 34 years in Kenya, Cambridge, Islington, Sherborne and Lambeth. Art, poetry and archives mingle with theology, history and spirituality. Memorable scenes include a Kenyan liturgy on the environment and Bishop Gitari’s preaching, the drama of worship on the streets of London, a Deuteronomic prequel to the Prodigal Son, flashes from the lives of Henry Martyn and Stephen Harding, the birth of South Sudan and the historic dialogue of John Stott and Basil Meeking.
Since Pauline Konga’s breakthrough performance at the 1996 summer Olympics in Atlanta, the world has become accustomed to seeing Kenyan women medal at major championships, sweep marathons, and set world records. Yet little is known about the pioneer generation of women who paved the way for Kenya’s reputation as an international powerhouse in women’s track and field. In Kenya’s Running Women: A History, historian and former professional runner Michelle M. Sikes details the triumphs and many challenges these women faced, from the advent of Kenya’s athletics program in the colonial era through the professionalization of running in the 1980s and 1990s. Sikes reveals how over time running became a vehicle for Kenyan women to expand the boundaries of acceptable female behavior. Kenya’s Running Women demonstrates the necessity of including women in histories of African sport, and of incorporating sport into studies of African gender and nation-building.
Over the past several decades, civil and ethnic wars have undermined prospects for economic and political development, destabilized entire regions of the globe, and left millions dead. States, Scarcity, and Civil Strife in the Developing World argues that demographic and environmental stress--the interactions among rapid population growth, environmental degradation, inequality, and emerging scarcities of vital natural resources--represents one important source of turmoil in today's world. Kahl contends that this type of stress places enormous strains on both societies and governments in poor countries, increasing their vulnerability to armed conflict. He identifies two pathways whereby this ...