By Jacob Oketch
Few autobiographies I have read are as gripping as Joe Khamisi’s Dash Before Dusk.
In most autobiographies, emphasis is often on the protagonist’s success. Whenever adversity is mentioned, it is meant to augment the theme of success. Rarely have I encountered an autobiographical piece that presents the unalloyed challenges that would be looked at with shame or embarrassment in ordinary circumstances. In this book, the writer does just that-the depth at which he exposes the struggles of his life, especially in childhood, which is a rare undertaking among those who have written about themselves. This candour is what many who opt to write about themselves tend to avoid.
Another striking thing about this book is the detail with which the author treats the subject of his childhood. Many autobiographies that I have read are scanty on narratives about childhood. Suffice it to say, however, that this may be due to either lack of memory or trauma. It is amazing how detailed the writer narrates the events of his childhood-his teachers, his friends, the foods they ate, the games they played, the places they went, and the stories Nyanya Pauline told them, among other details. It is as if the author has a photographic memory of his childhood.
The reader will be educated about many aspects of Kenya’s history and culture. The history of slave descendants who settled in Rabai and Freretown after being rescued from the seas is introduced in this book and subsequently told in detail in the author’s other book, The Wretched Africans. It is important to note that the author is a descendant of freed slaves from Nyasaland, now called Malawi, and Tanzania; his paternal great-grandfather was a slave from Nyasa, and his maternal great-grandmother was a slave from Tanzania. He is passionate about the plight of freed slaves and enumerates their contribution to developing nascent Kenya. He regrets the sad situation where the patriarchs and matriarchs of freed slaves continue to pass on without documenting their experiences.
You will also learn a lot about the media, which the author straddles like a colossus-He worked in print media, electronic media and even practiced as an independent journalist. You will be enamored by stories about protocol where the author served diligently and rose to the position of Deputy Chief of Protocol. You will also learn that the author was the one who established the Kenyan Mission in Namibia upon her independence.
The author’s father, Francis Khamisi, was a pioneer politician from the coast. He attended the first Lancaster conference in London. He was the secretary general of the precursor to KAU, the party that eventually became KANU and was the vehicle that took Kenya to independence. He was also one of the pioneer journalists in the country. He served the nation in various capacities. One would expect the son of such a person to have it smooth in life, attending top grade schools and inheriting companies from their parents.
Joe Khamisi’s story is different. His father had separated from his mother when he was only two years old. That separation shattered the family unit, and he lived with his grandmother Pauline for most of his childhood since his father worked in Nairobi. The author grappled with all manner of challenges in his earlier years. He even dropped out of school for lack of fees and started working.
It is the tenacity and resilience of the author in his quest to achieve inspirational excellence. Despite not having a degree, he waded through a number of respectable jobs. Most people write about their achievements in a single career, but the author persevered through multiple careers and excelled in them. He only acquired his degree much later after working in various respectable places.
The author’s description of this book’s events, people, and happenings is top-notch. A vivid example is when he describes his uncle’s gun and how he maintained it. You can picture the splendor that the gun exhibits. This technique enables the author to paint a picture of his childhood and its many meticulously described aspects.
The author talks of having taught the habit of making press cuttings of information. He also talks about his love of reading. It is easy to see why he took to full-time writing after retirement from an illustrious public and private career. It confirms the maxim that to be a good writer; you have to be an avid reader.
In his political endeavors, the author demonstrated what servant leadership is all about. In his tenure as the MP for Bahari Constituency, he was voted the best performing in terms of the usage of CDF fund. He initiated several development projects. One journalist quipped that if the yardstick was performance, then the MP was home and dry. Yet he lost the following elections in 2013. Why? Because he refused to bribe voters, and that just shows the kind of leader he is. And he goes ahead to explain where the rain started beating us. He opines that the spirit of volunteerism was at its peak at independence. However, when elected leaders became avaricious and started looting resources meant for development, the spirit of volunteerism disappeared and was replaced by greed among leaders and the populace.
Since he started full-time writing over a decade ago, he has penned five nonfiction books, including this autobiography and one novel.
The author’s remarkable professional career and political journey are a manifestation of hard work, determination, persistence, resilience, and focus. His vast experience in media and communication stood him in good stead for a writing career in his later years. Indeed, if one is serious about writing about their life, this book could serve as a template because it ticks all the boxes of what an autobiography should look like. I highly recommend it for all readers.
Copies are available at the Nuria bookstore in Nairobi.
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