My Royal Eminence,
“To be the kind of writer you want to be, you must first be the kind of thinker you want to be.’’
-Ayn Rand.
This week we sample a visionary Kenyan writer, Muthoni Gachanja Likimani, the oldest female author in Kenya and the first Kenyan Beauty Queen, her legacy runs for over 65 years now.
Born in 1926, in Murang’a County, she was delivered to parents, Mariuma Wanjiura and Rev. Levi Gachanja, who was notably one of the first Kenyan Anglican church ministers. Their daughter would grow into a phenomenal career woman, making her mark within the spheres of activism, writing, broadcasting, beauty, acting, teaching and publishing.
She joined the Kenya Broadcasting Commission, which was then known as ‘Voice of Kenya’, as one of the first women producers, working on women and children’s programs. In fact, she notably presented ‘Shangazi na Watoto’ a show on the station. She was also a freelance broadcaster for the BBC’s Swahili service.
In the 80’s we saw Muthoni Likimani become a Nairobi City Counselor, a position she held, till the government replaced the council with a city commission. Later on, she founded ‘Noni’s Publicity’ which is a public relations company that undertakes publishing as well. It is popularly known for the periodic ‘Women of Kenya.’
In 1974 two novels were published; ‘They Shall Be Chastised’ followed by ‘What Does a Man Want?’ but it is in 1985 that we saw the third and most salient book published ‘Passbook Number F. 47927: Women and Mau Mau in Kenya.’ This title is a reference to her identity number during the Mau Mau struggle. It is a fictional book that dramatizes women’s roles and the strategies they adapted in their daily lives during the fight for our freedom.
In 2005 her autobiography ‘fighting without ceasing’ was published and in 2007, she received the world YWCA Council Award in recognition of dedication and leadership, for her active and passionate involvement in women’s rights activism.
In 2014, She was appointed Peace Ambassador in Kenya, of the International Forum for the Literature and Culture of Peace, (IFLACP).
Throughout her career, she has been championing women’s rights in her writing and work. She also launched her charitable trust- Tangazaa Trust, which provides life skills education for poor and marginalized women.
She inspires women, such as myself, to be aware of why it is important to understand social and legal constraints, that we must overcome, in order to acquire some level of success and prestige in our careers and our lives.
Through her writing, we also see, that thoughts and dreams are never fabricated, they just form, and she happens to be among the very few who have the flair to pen them down.
Using language to describe reality.
A Writer.
BELIEVE