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Book Lists• The Decade Project

23 Notable Kiswahili Novels

October 26, 2020

Kiswahili is spoken widely in Eastern Africa and parts of Central Africa. The language has morphed into different dialects spoken in these countries and is well documented in a rich literary tradition. Even though this collection centers on 20th century fiction, the Kiswahili literary tradition spans various genres and time periods.

Swahili novels known as riwaya are characterized by their lyricism and flowery expression crafted through a deft use of oral literary forms and experimentation with the form of the novel.

The authors featured in this collection are doyens of Kiswahili, writers and scholars passionate about the use of African languages to document African stories. The past decade has seen the advent of the Jomo Kenyatta Foundation and Mabati-Cornell Kiswahili literary prizes, organizations that support ground-breaking works of fiction by both established and new writers.

The books on this list have been shaped by the Kiswahili riwaya landscape over the decades, from the pioneering works of Shabaan Robert to the experimental works of K. W. Wamitila.

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Kusadikika is a work of satirical genius set against the backdrop of colonialism, in the in-between floating country of Kusadikika, bordered by heaven and earth to the North and South, where the common people are expected to stifle their cries for justice against established despotic authority. Written by Shabaan Robert, Tanzania's national poet and father of Swahili literature, this novel inspired a generation of Kiswahili writers who continue to address pertinent societal issues in their works.

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Shamba la Wanyama is the Kiswahili translation of The Animal Farm (1945), a classic fable and political satire originally written in English by George Orwell. The novel chronicles the happenings at Ibura farm where Mbalamwezi alias Askari Mzee, a 12-year-old pig, incites the rest of the animals against mistreatment from humans, consequently overthrowing man. Ironically, the pigs become exploitative rulers leading to a severely worse government than that of humans.

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Who murdered Mwana wa Giningi, the only child of Makame wa Makame and heiress to her father's wealth? Is it the husband Vuai who had marital problems with her or another greedy person who thought they deserved to be a beneficiary of her father's vast wealth? Kisima cha Giningi is an immersive investigative novel by Muhammed Said Abdulla, one of the pioneering writers for Swahili investigative crime fiction.

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Kaburi bila Msalaba tells the story of Meja Blue, a Mau Mau frontline fighter who fought at Burma in World War II only to come back to a life of frustration in Kenya as opposed to the land and war reparations promised. The book honors the Kenyan female and male freedom fighters who were buried in unmarked graves, to which the book's title alludes.

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Rosa Mistika is nicknamed laboratory by her fellow college students since she gives her body for sampling to any interested person. But Rosa Mistika does not care. She discovered early that she could use men, who she likens to donkeys, for anything. Her life of experimentation with sexual expression ends tragically but is documented in a letter, written in blood, which states that virginity should not be a yardstick for a woman's value. Rosa Mistika is a timeless tear-jerking tragic story relevant in this decade.

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Mohamed Suleiman Mohamed weaves this novel artistically through the characters Bahati, a young girl baited by her lover Idi to scam Mzee Mwinyi off his money. She falls into this trap, and as a sacrifice of love and a happy ever after, sleeps with the old sexagenarian for money and other gifts. Kiu means thirst in Kiswahili. This masterpiece explores the thirst for a good life, love, companionship and money.

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Kijakazi is a naïve orphaned girl who grows old being overworked at Fuad's expansive cloves farm and palatial home. She believes her destiny is to please her abusive masters. But the activism of a band of revolutionaries sets a series of events in motion that see Kijakazi the diligent slave demand that her feet be massaged by her master Fuad.

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This action-packed book opens with a scandalous scene centered on a prostitute, Kazija, who bitterly hates men. She hates that men in her society are considered authoritative and placed first while women exist for the comfort and pleasure of men. So, she schemes up a revenge plan that involves the wealthy Bwana Maksuudi and leads to the downfall of his household. Utengano is an entertaining and empowering book, a feminist manifesto, and a vivid characterization of Kiswahili language and culture.

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The life of Jacinta Wariinga is crumbling. She is fired by her old boss for refusing to be his "sugar girl," her fiancé dumps her, her landlord throws her out. She tries suicide by throwing herself towards a moving vehicle, but someone saves her. Her savior gives her an invitation card to attend the "devil's festival" at the Devil's hotel in Ilmorog during which the Devil will award 7 greatest neo-colonial thieves with positions in global corporations. Shetani Msalabani is a powerful fiction with compelling characters and a deft use of oral storytelling techniques.

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Widowed Habiba is saddled with caring for two children, Hawa and Saidi. In her loneliness, she decides to have a relationship with Daudi, a young man employed at her farm, not knowing that he is her daughter's boyfriend. This causes a rift between mother and daughter, influencing Hawa to make a series of decisions that bring suffering to herself and many others. Anasa addresses the tribulations of a black African girl who gets preyed on by those who are supposed to take care of her.

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This crime investigative novel invites the reader into an underground room meeting in Dar es Salaam where a scientific murder against Joram Kiango is being plotted. At the heart of this deathly plan is a faceless man known as Proper. But will police Inspector Kombora act on the message he receives from purgatory to stop the narcissistic Proper? Written in very easy Kiswahili, Salamu kutoka Kuzimu is laced with chilling murders that demand your attention from beginning to end.

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Monika returns home after schooling abroad with a different air about her. The welcoming party held in her honor irks her. She despises everything in her home country, including the food, which she fears will give her diseases. Every interaction with her friends is a commentary on how life in Europe is superior. The novel chronicles her failure to adjust to her new life and to meet the family and community's expectations for her. Mwisho wa Kosa is a story about collision of cultures, identity, black tax and an intersection of modernity and traditions.

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Walenisi is a masterpiece that combines realism and fantasy in literature to tell the story of Dzombo, a man arrested for inciting fellow poor people against the ruling capitalist regime. He is sentenced to death, but the rocket Sayari, which should kill him instantly, sends him to a utopian world where democracy works, systems work, and equality and justice are not a preserve of the rich alone. The novel explores new ways of imagining the world through its concept wale ni sisi na sisi ni wale—they are us, and we are them.

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Nyongo Mkalia Ini, told through the eyes of Mama Mumbe, follows the devastating story of the MajiMaji rebellion. The novel, which is centered on the criminal mastermind Bwana Khalifa and a band of friends who resist him, depicts a series of unspeakable acts of violence. But there is light at the end of the tunnel.

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Siku Njema is an entertaining but moving story of a boy Msanifu Kombo who goes in search of his enigmatic father following the death of his mother. Is a name enough to find a man who doesn't want to be found, a man with no identity, who only goes by his pseudonym Amuj Isokum? Like the title suggests, a good day shall dawn after this journey! Siku Njema is an expertly crafted tale with flowing prose.

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Vipuli vya Figo is a dark tale of organ harvesting and trafficking. It tells the story of Dr. Matoga, the disgraced Minister of Health, who becomes a menace to the streets of Daluta where homeless people, "chokoraas," the blind, deaf, crippled, the poor, and prostitutes are being targeted for their organs. The story is engrossing and reveals how far some people would go to gain wealth and power.

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In a world where the lives of street kids don't seem to matter, Mugogo Mwehu witnesses two kids being shot outside his apartment. Disturbed by these murders, he begins an investigations and continues in spite of threats to this life. Musaleo! (Today's Moses) is a work of experimental literature that uses different voices and styles to tell the story of dictatorship in the past century.

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Kibibi is the top performing student in her district. But when her father refuses to support her schooling, she becomes a house help in Fumbwe's household, where she is raped. The novel follows her harrowing experience as a pregnant girl disowned by her family but ends with an encounter that changes her fortune. Kala Tufaha uses flowery prose and a mastery of Kiswahili that entices the reader from the first word to the final dramatic scene.

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Kovu Moyoni tells the story of a widowed woman, Boke. Her husband is murdered by a vigilante army targeting non-natives in Siloko village. Her daughter Eddah is raped. Her son is forcefully kidnapped and initiated into the vigilante army. Kovu Moyoni depicts the horrors faced by people in the face of politically instigated wars and compromised justice systems, which leave an indelible scar in the heart for generations to come as was the case for victims of the Kenya 2007-08 post-election violence.

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Chozi la Heri revolves around Ridhaa and Umulkheri, a doctor and a woman, who experience tragedies by means of which their fate intersects. This is a shattering story that stands out with its profound themes on human and drug trafficking, dysfunctional families, adoption, foster care and political unrest. Will the characters shed tears of joy, re-unite with their families and find new beginnings? Chozi la Heri affirms that good things always happen eventually despite tremendous losses and life's challenges.

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Mungu Hakopeshwi centers on the travails of a traditional Arabic-Zanzibari family living in Unguja. Bw. Ahmed rules his family like a dictator. He forcefully arranges his daughter's marriage to a man who mistreats her, leading to her sudden death. His son Said runs away from home after Bw. Ahmed attempts to force him into a marriage. Meanwhile, Bw. Ahmed holds a devastating secret. The 2018 winner of the Mabati-Cornell Kiswahili Prize for African Literature, Mungu Hakopeshwi is a poignant reflection on the devastating effects caused by violent relationships.

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Hujafa Hujaumbika is an intense first-person narration about Fumo, a boy who grows up in a children's home in his formative years. He writes the story as a 48year old lawyer who's looking back on his life and the events that shaped it. After he is abandoned at birth by his biological mother, Fumo is rescued and adopted by a good Samaritan. But that is only the beginning of a life beset by numerous adversities and eventual triumph.

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Mmeza Fupa tells the story of Bi. Msiri, a 200-year-old woman. A walking archive of knowledge and stories, Bi. Msiri sends her friend Bi. Tausi on an expedition to find a worthy youth to document her life story. But tragedy befalls Bi. Tausi on her journey. Before Bi. Tausi dies from a snake bite, she finds Miftaha, a visionary teacher, and instructs him to go find the old lady in Maukio. A recipient of the 2017 Mabati-Cornell Kiswahili Prize, Mmeza Fupa is a powerful biomythographic novel.