John Kiriamiti
Convited of robbery in Naivasha and spent time in jail. While serving out his sentence, he wrote his first book, My Life In Crime. Surprisingly difficult to find information on him.
Grace Ogot
Born in 1930 and a nurse by training, she became the first woman to have fiction published by the East African Publishing House. Has worked as a scriptwriter, announcer on BBC, headmistress, community development officer, public relations officer.
Walije Gondwe
I have found it impossible to get any information on her, besides that she is the ‘first female writer from Malawi’.
Ben Carson
American neurosurgeon, Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at John Hopkins Hospital. He was the first surgeon in the world to successfully separate Siamese twins. Aside from his four bestselling books, he has 61 honorary doctorate degrees. Not bad.
Meja Mwangi
Award winning novelist, has had 19 works published. Born in 1948, he is regarded as part of the second wave of Kenyan writers, after his predecessors Ngugi wa Thiong’o and Grace Ogot.
Oginga Odinga
Served as first Vice President of Kenya for 6 years, father of current Prime Minister Raila Odinga. Not Yet Uhuru is his autobiography.
Ngugi wa Thiong’o
Born in Kenya into a large peasant family in 1938. Devil on the Cross was written on toilet paper while he was detained in prison for the content of works previously written. Has taught at Yale, NYU, and University of California. The spectrum of his achievements includes novelist, essayist, playwright, journalist, editor, academic, and social activist.
Ken Walibora
He is currently a professor of English Literature at University of Wisconsin Madison. Has been a schoolteacher, probation officer, and news broadcaster at NTV. He has published over 30 books, mostly fiction