Andrew Maina launched three new books at the Cascade Premier Restaurant in Thika, Kenya on Saturday, September 14, 2019.
Andrew Maina launched three books starting with Grace Onyango: The Butterfly That Touched The Clouds which tells the story of Grace Onyango the pioneer politician who was Kenya’s first female mayor, first female Member of Parliament, and first Deputy Speaker. I Am Listening: A Collection of Short Stories is a creative nonfiction title with stories from the author’s life interspersed with inspiration from religion and other sources. Lying Under The Mound is the fiction title in the trio with a protagonist whose Kenyan girlfriends suspiciously start falling like flies when his new Internet lover moves to Kenya from the UK.
The launch was a packed affair, ably emceed by Mt Kenya University’s Daniel Kiriti , that kicked off with a prayer and a word of the gospel by Reverend Kabocho. This was followed by readings from the three books by students from Thika Primrose Academy and a few other readers. The crammed auditorium also heard from special guests like Nairobi Women Representative Esther Passaris, South B Member of Country Assembly Waithera Chege, Nakuru County Commissioner Erastus Mwenda, and book blogger James Murua. They all gave short speeches greeting those who attended, thanking the organisers for the invitation and congratulating the author on his new books.
The speeches of note came from the event guest of honour former legislator Martha Karua and the author Andrew Maina. Martha Karua is a prominent lawyer who made a name for herself as the member of parliament of Gichugu constituency as well as the Minister for Justice. She spoke about the importance of storytelling for our children which helps pass on values while entertaining them. She promised to write the stories that she was told by her grandmother that she shared with her daughter and her granddaughter. On the books being launched, she was most excited by Grace Onyango: The Butterfly That Touched The Clouds. This was because as it featured a leader that inspired her and many other women when they were getting into the political arena. She also congratulated the author on his new books.
Andrew Maina, the man-of-the-hour as described by all who had attended the event, thanked the many people who had attended. He spoke about being raised in Kandara, in central Kenya, before heading out to South Nyanza, in the West of the country, for his A-levels. He settled in Kisumu for two decades until his sojourn in that part of the country was cut short during Kenya’s Post-Election Crisis of 2007/8. Like many who had the “wrong identity” he moved back to the central part of the country and quietly went about his business. He started writing the books that were launching today while he was still in the Nyanza region and we could finally see them in print.
After the speeches, audience members bought books and had their copies signed by the author.
Readers can buy the books at Bookstop in Yaya Centre, Chania Bookshop and other good bookshops.
Here are more images from the event that happened taken by this blogger as well as courtesy of the event organisers.



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