New book offers window into an enticing Kenya

By John Oywa The assembled crowd broke into applause as Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka drew the miniature curtain to reveal a blue coloured book proclaiming: Kenya Yearbook 2010.
Sandwiched between youthful dancers, Information Minister Samuel Poghisio and Permanent Secretary Bitange Ndemo, Kalonzo lifted the 1,150-page book, smiling as he did so.
"This is the window to our great nation. It is the official source of information for our country," he said.
More people were easily won over after gleaning through an abridged version of the book, which aspires to explain and expose the country to the rest of the world.
Assembled and edited by some of Kenya’s leading journalists, researchers and Government technocrats, the book launched this week puts together an enticing story that was creatively designed and printed.
The only drawback, however, is that the book was printed in India, and the faint mitigation that it was cheaper to print it there betrays the lack of long-term investment to boost local capacity.
Hailed by its authors – the Kenya Yearbook Editorial Board – as a new dawn for the country and a souvenir from a great land, the Yearbook 2010 captures a broad spectrum of Kenya’s past and contemporary history.
From the engrossing 3-Dimensional picture of President Kibaki brandishing a copy of the new Constitution to proclaim a new Kenya, the book, which is spiced with dramatic pictures, weaves captivating narratives.
The President also provides a foreword in which he hails the book as "an invaluable resource for anyone seeking information about our beautiful country."
Shake off nightmare The book, due to go on sale in leading bookshops, gives Kenyans, tourists and investors a new view of a country which is still struggling to shake off the nightmares of the bungled 2007 General Election.
There appears to be a deliberate effort to change Kenyans’ perceptions of ethnicity.
Dennis Chebitwey, the Yearbook Editorial Board’s Chief Executive Officer, says his team, working under the chairmanship of former Standard editor Esther Kamweru, had a long debate on whether Kenyans are tribes or ethnic groups.
"We resolved to document that Kenya has 42 ethnic groups and not tribes and this should be the official position," he said.
The book chronicles Government activities in different sectors, from the economy, security, health and education, among other issues.
In the tourism sector, for instance, the book profiles top hotels, game parks, the Nairobi nightlife and the status of Kenya’s major towns.
The book also celebrates Kenya’s eminent researchers, educationists, sportsmen and women and musicians.
It also pays a special tribute to Kenya’s second President Daniel arap Moi who retired in 2002.
University of Nairobi Vice-Chancellor Prof George Magoha, historian Prof Bethwel Ogot, biotechnologist and researcher Esther Kahang’i and the Presbyterian University Vice Chancellor and Chairman of Commission of Higher Education, Prof Kihumbu Thairu are some of the country’s leading scholars profiled.
The country’s vibrant arts and culture scene and sports are given ample illumination in the book, with prominent sports personalities receiving a special mention.
Kenya’s esteemed author, Ngugi wa Thiong’o and celebrated humourist Wahome Mutahi aka Whispers, are featured in this section.
Kenya’s zilizoNhpendwa legends, Fundi Konde and Fadhili Williams, are recognised posthumously.
The book has great details about investment opportunities in the country, infrastructural networks in place and the evolution of the country’s security apparatus since independence.
Drop in ocean But the book also reveals worrying trends in the stunting of the numbers of medical personnel in state hospitals.
By 2009, for instance, Kenya had only 6,897 doctors, 5,888 clinical officers, 1,004 dentists, 778 graduate nurses, 15,948 registered nurses, 31,917 enrolled nurses, 2,921 pharmacists, 1,950 pharmaceutical technologists, 7,192 public health officers and 5,969 public health technicians.
This is a drop in ocean considering the medics have to look after more than 80 per cent of the 38 million Kenyans who cannot afford to seek treatment in private hospitals. The book also highlights the worsening water crisis across the country, with a special mention of Nairobi County, whose daily water requirements stand at 750,000 cubic metres, against the available supply of 530,000 cubic metres.
Despite the challenges highlighted in the book, many observers see this as a great opportunity to rebrand and sell Kenya as a country of opportunities.
Brand Kenya’s Director of Marketing, Nzilu Musyoki, describes the publication as a sign of great things to come.
"You can read through the book and feel as if you have sampled the entire country. Brand Kenya will use it to market the country. It is a treasure," Dr Musyoki says.