TITLE: NaiRobbery Cocktail

AUTHOR: Empress Ciku Kimani-Mwaniki

PUBLISHER: Mvua Press

REVIEWER: Isaac Mwangi

AVAILABILITY: shop.eKitabu.com and ‘On eKitabu’ app

PRICE: Ksh1,200 (Print).

A mere two days before the launch of Empress Ciku Kimani-Mwaniki’s latest novel, an organised gang descended on a funeral gathering in Limuru on the outskirts of Nairobi. Coincidentally, Limuru also happens to be the home of the author and her family. At the end of the mayhem that ensued, the gang left scores of broken chairs, injured mourners, and damaged vehicles.

While this incident shocked the nation, the target of the attack appeared to be former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who had been hounded out of office through parliamentary impeachment less than two months earlier. Fortunately, he was quickly whisked to safety and escaped without injury.

Political thuggery of the nature witnessed on that day is only one form of organised crime that is becoming increasingly common in Kenya, especially in urban settings. While the thought that there are gangs for hire willing to offer their services is unsettling to many, it is a reality that Kenyans have come to accept. Whereas this form of violence manifests every five years as elections approach, it is particularly disturbing that the latest incident of politically-instigated violence has come well over two years before the 2027 elections—ominously signalling the dark political clouds ahead.

Kenyans are more accustomed to a different type of violence meted on them daily. Muggings on the streets by knife-wielding gangs are commonplace—to their credit, most of these criminals won’t harm you unless you resist, or sometimes if they find nothing of value to steal from you. There are also the mchele prostitutes, those innocent-looking women in bars and nightclubs who look for an opportunity to lace the drink of anyone who leaves their glass unattended. Plus, of course, there are the pickpockets in public vehicles, carjackers on the streets, and all manner of other criminals.

This is the world that Empress Ciku explores so well in her book—one in which leaders of the underworld make the rules, prostitutes lure their clients to robbers, and law enforcers—far from fighting crime—hire out their guns for criminal activities and actively support rival gangs. NaiRobbery Cocktail, released on 30 November, is a must-read for everyone who seeks to understand the workings of the underworld in Nairobi.

Social context of crime

Written as a fast-paced crime thriller, the book tells the story of Kanja, christened “Boss” and the leader of Nairobi’s underworld responsible for carjacking incidents in the city. The author does not condemn Boss, but gives his story right from early childhood in a manner that will likely draw the reader’s empathy rather than condemnation. The stereotype that criminals are all senseless, bloodthirsty fellows who deserve no sympathy is gradually shattered as Empress Ciku carefully narrates the social context of her characters.

Brought up in a rural environment near Nairobi, Kanja undergoes a horrific incident of sodomy in early childhood that leaves him scarred forever. Upon finishing secondary school and finding his way to Nairobi in search of work, he is drugged and ends up scavenging on the streets, where he is again the victim of sodomy. He quickly learns the rules of the unforgiving urban jungle, gaining recognition as the Boss and building a criminal carjacking network.

Who would have thought that despite the notoriety of such a gangster, Kanja would have a positive side? He is credited, ironically, with reduced crime given his own enforcement of street discipline among his rank and file. He is also Nairobi’s version of Robin Hood; responsible for taking care of street families and paying school fees for their children, he attracts fierce loyalty from his beneficiaries.  When a new police boss attempts to prop up a rival gang leader, it is this loyal following that saves his life in a fierce gun battle on city streets.

There is Naliaka, too, whose mother died when she was young; fate connected her with Queen, who ran a thinly-disguised whorehouse in the city. Against her wishes, she is inducted into the flesh trade where she meets all sorts of clients—including a priest. With time, she quits the brothel and ventures out on her own, where her story becomes intertwined with that of Boss. Through Naliaka and other less prominent characters, the author vividly brings out the links between all sorts of criminals, with prostitutes assisting carjackers and rogue police officers obtaining a cut of the proceeds to look the other way.

The brotherhood and loyalty among criminals is of the kind last seen before the 2022 general election—when the mama mboga traders, boda boda riders, peasants and low-cadre workers found a saviour in the then Deputy President William Ruto. Their illusions were quickly shattered once their candidate took power, leading to general disenchantment with the government by Kenyans from all walks of life. Church leaders, who vigorously campaigned for President Ruto, are the latest in calling him out without mincing words, branding the president a liar. Could Empress Ciku be subtly passing the message that this army of disillusioned Kenyans may now be turning to organised criminal networks for their daily sustenance and protection?

Dawn of a new era

But hope is not lost, and life in Kenya’s capital city isn’t all gloomy. At the yellow-themed party to launch the book, the young and the old all came together in a great celebration until darkness fell, oblivious of the dangers the book warns its readers about. The party was also a celebration of culture, with a session of Kikuyu traditional prayers as the multitude faced Mt Kenya—a practice that would in many places raise eyebrows and have the crowd branded thugs from the outlawed Mungiki group.

As the artists and their friends hugged and danced, it was evident that a new era had dawned, one in which young and courageous writers are willing to use their talents to explore new horizons in using their creative power. The inhibitions of the older generations, which made them read books like those of David Maillu (who was present at the party) while hiding, are gone. Writers, and readers as well, want to see things as they truly are, reflecting the society in which we live hence without censorship yet wrapped around a compelling story. The revolutionary lyrics of Cheif Matigari added to the longing for change that has become a characteristic feature of Kenyan society, especially among the literati.

Financial and physical insecurity

There is a dearth of serious grown-up fiction that addresses core issues afflicting society; Empress Ciku must be commended for bringing back to the fold the art of telling a good story. All too often, writers struggle to regale their readers with endless sexual scenes that are only of prurient interest. Whereas sex and crime are present in society and should not be censored or escape the attention of serious readers, it must also be acknowledged that these activities take place within a context and ought to be woven within a good story. Many times, this is not the case.

With Empress Ciku, the reader gets not only to learn of the social context of the major characters, but also to follow an excellent storyline. Far from promoting crime, the book creates an appreciation of the circumstances that lead people into crime, prostitution and other ills. Hopefully, this will lead to a conversation about the role of society in creating desperate groups of youth and how this can be reversed. What if there were ways to cushion young orphans like Naliaka and enable them to pursue their dreams without turning to prostitution? Would Kanja have morphed into a monster if sufficient care had been taken to provide free counselling and psychiatric care for his early trauma? The answer is blowing in the wind.

There has never been a more opportune time for Kenyans to ask these questions and demand answers from their leaders. The closure of the National Health Insurance Fund and the dysfunctional nature of its replacement—the Social Health Insurance Fund—has led to tears, death and despondency in many families throughout the land. The problems in the education sector—as seen in the near-collapse of Moi University and the disjointed implementation of the new Higher Education Funding Model—have put paid to the hopes of thousands of young students. When university students are reduced to crying on television screens in frustration, it is inevitable that new, sophisticated “Kanjas” will appear on our streets. The tragedy is, they may not all be as peaceful and as measured in their use of guns as Empress Ciku’s character.

Prophetic warning

Like the prophet Jeremiah in ancient Israel, Empress Ciku has sounded a warning to the city and the nation. If the emerging problems are not sufficiently addressed, we may find ourselves in the situation that Simiyu Barasa so aptly describes in his foreword to NaiRobbery: “I will never walk around Nairobi again without imagining everybody on the streets is not just an innocent civilian, but a member of the Boss syndicate playing their role as the criminal Nairobi ecosystem grinds on.”

It is imperative that Empress Ciku should use her personal charisma and energy to inspire a new generation of writers who will address pertinent topics in society. Issues of pollution, unplanned development, food security, and historical land injustices have hardly been recorded for posterity by our writers of fiction. Moreover, despite the growing population, the country continues to have a few families who hoard thousands of acres of land—many of which were acquired during the colonial conquest and in the land-grabbing spree that followed independence—a situation that is clearly unsustainable. Where are the writers who will follow in Empress Ciku’s steps to address these issues?

Isaac Mwangi is Managing Editor of eKitabu. Email: isaac.mwangi@ekitabu.com