Anyway, I came across this piece I did a while back, 2011 to be precise, for some publication. Going through it reminded yours truly of the the thrill of breaking from the 5W and H yoke every now and then. The thrill you get when you weave words and sprinkle a few heavy words, with a chuckle. It reminded me of college when I could trace thematic concerns across a few dozen books over lunch.
This was a review of Ndingi Mwana 'a Nzeki's biography, A Voice Unstilled. Stay with me.
A Voice Unstilled, the title of this biography creates a large than life image even before you get down to the book itself. For someone who knows the Kenya politics of the 1990s and Ndingi’s part in it, a bias is unavoidable given the image he cut back then.
The biography of Archbishop Ndingi Mwana a’ Nzeki traces the life of one of Kenya’s most prominent and outspoken clergymen caught in almost every political and social storm over the last three decades. The book traces the development of young Ndingi from his humble beginnings to the voice of reason within the Catholic Church in Kenya and on governance issues of the day as it were.
When Kenyans speak of the struggle towards the opening of democratic space in the country and the fight for good governance and political accountability, the church features prominently in such narratives with the names of clergy who have stood up for the voiceless even when it was almost fool hardy to do so. ‘A Voice Unstilled’ tells of the struggles Ndingi went through from a struggling boy in Machakos through school and up to priesthood and his outspokenness that has seen him get under the collar of many a politician quite a few times.
From one standpoint, the biography is a fair description of the man, but from another it fails to live up to a certain image. As biographies go, the authors do justice to the man carefully constructing a larger than life figure (not unexpected in a biography or auto biography) but at the same time tempering this with glimpses of Ndingi the man. The book however focuses mostly on Ndingi as a priest with the rest of his life relegated to a mere footnote.
The book falls in the pitfalls that line the daunting path of writing biographies and autobiographies. From the word go, it is another story of the kid from an underprivileged family who beat all odds stacked against him. The David and Goliath story that peppers almost all such stories. Of parents telling their kids how they used to run barefoot to school over several kilometres, a glorification of the individual’s triumphs.
The larger than life image of the man supersedes his mortal failings and human weaknesses. While this is open to interpretation, the authors take time to look at he stormy periods that defined Ndingi, from ethnic clashes to the harsh political climate that brought out the firebrand in him. This is however done in three short chapters and we are quickly taken back to the church, so to speak.
Many of us, especially non-Catholics, knew Ndingi Mwana-a-Nzeki not on the pulpit but on the altar of advocacy for human rights and good governance. It is to the credit of the authors however, that the biography takes a look at some of the thorn issues plaguing today’s priesthood. One of this is celibacy, and given the debate it has always caused, the anecdotes in here certainly attract some attention.
Similarly, it makes an interesting read, avoiding a monologue-ish rendition and making good use of anecdotes to break the narrative. Overall, the text is a good reference point to the debate of the church versus the state. Even those leaning on different sides of this debate will agree that the church played its part in the stormy years of the 80s and 90s. This biography tries to give a different face to the fiery Archbishop and succeeds up to a certain point. That said, it is an interesting read in itself, and certainly a compelling read.
Title: A Voice Unstilled, Archbishop Ndingi Mwana a’ Nzeki
Authors: Waithaka Waihenya and Fr Ndikaru wa Teresia
Genre: Biography
Publisher: Sasa Sema Publications
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