Which girl’s making use of ‘bottom power’ at the office? Ciku Kimeria has all the gossip
TITLE: Dance of the Monkeys
AUTHOR: Ciku Kimeria
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
REVIEWER: Tracy M. Ochieng
AVAILABILITY: shop.eKitabu.com, ‘On eKitabu’ app and local bookstores
PRICE: Ksh1,350 (Print).
When I first interviewed Ciku Kimeria at a tree-side chat session during the week-long Macondo festival in Nairobi in 2024, she chose an unforgettable excerpt to introduce Dance of the Monkeys to the eager audience of authors and book lovers who had gathered at the eKitabu stand.
“Who told you that I was trying to steal him? Maybe I am borrowing him. I will give him back to you when I am done with him.” The moment the words left her lips, I instinctively knew the chat was going to be witty, sharp—and if you like—full of good vibes. Ciku’s effortless shift into Njeri’s character—one of the key figures in the wild and absurd world of Dance of the Monkeys—drew laughter from the crowd and set the stage for a discussion as dramatic and layered as the book itself.
Ciku Kimeria’s writing doesn’t just tell a story; it feels like a friend chatting with you on a hot Saturday afternoon, dying to share the hottest tea while sipping on some wine. The conspiratorial tone in the book invites readers to revel in the insanity—as if they were part of the gossip—making the betrayals, love triangles and revelations even more deliciously entertaining. So conversational is the author's tone that she names the narrator Wanjiru Mdaku—whose last name translates to “a gossip” in Kiswahili. Wanjiru, a private investigator and the star character in this novel, has an uncanny knack for uncovering scandals. She gets thrown headfirst into the circus of what was supposed to be a joyous engagement party. Instead, the bride-to-be, Mwende, ends up poisoned, leaving Wanjiru to navigate the tangled web of suspects, secrets, and simmering tensions.
The almighty ‘bottom power’
“You are a smart girl– use your brain,” Makokha, one-third of the partnership at Mwangi-Ogolla-Makokha Advocates, “advised” Wacuka. Feisty and generally disliked by people around her—including Mwende, who she considered a close friend— Wacuka was undeniably brilliant at her job. Her wit and tenacity set her apart despite her divisive personality. What does it mean for women who earn their place through merit yet find that “bottom power” determines who gets the spotlight at the end of the day? This unsettling reality leaves a bitter taste for those women who long to be recognised for their skills and accomplishments rather than their beauty or likeability—qualities often judged by those in control, predominantly men.
Allegations of women sleeping their way to the top aren’t new whether in reality or fiction, and this theme in Dance of the Monkeys casts a mirror into the state of our societies. Take Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Defence, Soipan Tuya. Sharp criticism followed her nomination by President William Ruto to lead the defence docket, a ministry that has traditionally been held by men. Kenyans, infamous for their scathing commentary on X, didn’t miss a beat. Alleged videos, some of which were doctored, of President Ruto confessing to the clandestine affair, spread like wildfire on the platform. Photos of First Lady Rachel Ruto in Tuya’s company—deemed by some as “looking distraught”—were relentlessly dissected by self-proclaimed digital professors, who churned out theories about how Tuya managed to land such a significant role.
“She should have been given gender or something?”
“Why was she removed from the Ministry of Environment? How can our country’s defence ministry be run by a woman who has never been in the army?”
Media stations had a field day describing her nomination as a shocking discrepancy. Yet this isn’t just a Kenyan problem—it’s the eternal sin of womanhood: any woman who rises to power must be ready to answer as to whether she “gave it up” at some point in her career.
Faced with the implication of relinquishing her “bottom power”, Wacuka declines Makokha's offer in a paralysing battle between merit and expediency. Coincidentally and perhaps not, Mwende, her frenemy, gets the promotion, solidifying the notion that power dynamics and not merit rule the game.
Like a Netflix drama series
Ciku describes her genre as domestic suspense—a window into the secrets of family drama and the lengths people will go to for wealth and social standing. True to her word, Dance of the Monkeys keeps you guessing until the very end—especially when it comes to who poisoned Mwende. Add to that a haunted house-turned-crime scene mystery, and you’ve got a recipe for nonstop intrigue.
This book is for when your eyes cannot doomscroll anymore and you need a friend to gist you celebrity news and who was involved in what scandal. For a self-published work, Ciku excels in character development and word choice, though a few edits wouldn’t go amiss. If like to read while commuting to work or as you travel, like I do, prepare to gasp for air as this book is packed with endless drama and crafted with remarkable skill. If you enjoy this book, and I say it in the kindest possible way, you are probably a “mdaku”.
Tracy Ochieng is a staff writer with Books in Africa. Email: tracy.ochieng@ekitabu.com
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Which girl’s making use of ‘bottom power’ at the office? Ciku Kimeria has all the gossip
TITLE: Dance of the Monkeys
AUTHOR: Ciku Kimeria
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
REVIEWER: Tracy M. Ochieng
AVAILABILITY: shop.eKitabu.com, ‘On eKitabu’ app and local bookstores
PRICE: Ksh1,350 (Print).
When I first interviewed Ciku Kimeria at a tree-side chat session during the week-long Macondo festival in Nairobi in 2024, she chose an unforgettable excerpt to introduce Dance of the Monkeys to the eager audience of authors and book lovers who had gathered at the eKitabu stand.
“Who told you that I was trying to steal him? Maybe I am borrowing him. I will give him back to you when I am done with him.” The moment the words left her lips, I instinctively knew the chat was going to be witty, sharp—and if you like—full of good vibes. Ciku’s effortless shift into Njeri’s character—one of the key figures in the wild and absurd world of Dance of the Monkeys—drew laughter from the crowd and set the stage for a discussion as dramatic and layered as the book itself.
Ciku Kimeria’s writing doesn’t just tell a story; it feels like a friend chatting with you on a hot Saturday afternoon, dying to share the hottest tea while sipping on some wine. The conspiratorial tone in the book invites readers to revel in the insanity—as if they were part of the gossip—making the betrayals, love triangles and revelations even more deliciously entertaining. So conversational is the author's tone that she names the narrator Wanjiru Mdaku—whose last name translates to “a gossip” in Kiswahili. Wanjiru, a private investigator and the star character in this novel, has an uncanny knack for uncovering scandals. She gets thrown headfirst into the circus of what was supposed to be a joyous engagement party. Instead, the bride-to-be, Mwende, ends up poisoned, leaving Wanjiru to navigate the tangled web of suspects, secrets, and simmering tensions.
The almighty ‘bottom power’
“You are a smart girl– use your brain,” Makokha, one-third of the partnership at Mwangi-Ogolla-Makokha Advocates, “advised” Wacuka. Feisty and generally disliked by people around her—including Mwende, who she considered a close friend— Wacuka was undeniably brilliant at her job. Her wit and tenacity set her apart despite her divisive personality. What does it mean for women who earn their place through merit yet find that “bottom power” determines who gets the spotlight at the end of the day? This unsettling reality leaves a bitter taste for those women who long to be recognised for their skills and accomplishments rather than their beauty or likeability—qualities often judged by those in control, predominantly men.
Allegations of women sleeping their way to the top aren’t new whether in reality or fiction, and this theme in Dance of the Monkeys casts a mirror into the state of our societies. Take Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Defence, Soipan Tuya. Sharp criticism followed her nomination by President William Ruto to lead the defence docket, a ministry that has traditionally been held by men. Kenyans, infamous for their scathing commentary on X, didn’t miss a beat. Alleged videos, some of which were doctored, of President Ruto confessing to the clandestine affair, spread like wildfire on the platform. Photos of First Lady Rachel Ruto in Tuya’s company—deemed by some as “looking distraught”—were relentlessly dissected by self-proclaimed digital professors, who churned out theories about how Tuya managed to land such a significant role.
“She should have been given gender or something?”
“Why was she removed from the Ministry of Environment? How can our country’s defence ministry be run by a woman who has never been in the army?”
Media stations had a field day describing her nomination as a shocking discrepancy. Yet this isn’t just a Kenyan problem—it’s the eternal sin of womanhood: any woman who rises to power must be ready to answer as to whether she “gave it up” at some point in her career.
Faced with the implication of relinquishing her “bottom power”, Wacuka declines Makokha's offer in a paralysing battle between merit and expediency. Coincidentally and perhaps not, Mwende, her frenemy, gets the promotion, solidifying the notion that power dynamics and not merit rule the game.
Like a Netflix drama series
Ciku describes her genre as domestic suspense—a window into the secrets of family drama and the lengths people will go to for wealth and social standing. True to her word, Dance of the Monkeys keeps you guessing until the very end—especially when it comes to who poisoned Mwende. Add to that a haunted house-turned-crime scene mystery, and you’ve got a recipe for nonstop intrigue.
This book is for when your eyes cannot doomscroll anymore and you need a friend to gist you celebrity news and who was involved in what scandal. For a self-published work, Ciku excels in character development and word choice, though a few edits wouldn’t go amiss. If like to read while commuting to work or as you travel, like I do, prepare to gasp for air as this book is packed with endless drama and crafted with remarkable skill. If you enjoy this book, and I say it in the kindest possible way, you are probably a “mdaku”.
Tracy Ochieng is a staff writer with Books in Africa. Email: tracy.ochieng@ekitabu.com
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