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Not Yet Uhuru, the Autobiography of Oginga Odinga
Book by Odinga, Oginga, Odinga, Ajuma Oginga
323 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1967
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 9, 2017
I have fallen in love with the man.
What a statesman he was.
Not yet uhuru should be mandatory reading in our schools if not for anything else but to educate us that nothing has changed.
What a statesman he was.
Not yet uhuru should be mandatory reading in our schools if not for anything else but to educate us that nothing has changed.
November 27, 2011
As far as memoirs books go, this fits the genre well. It is written from Odinga's perspective after breaking with the post-independence KANU government and so carries with it a impassioned critique of Kenyatta's govt, a defense and esteeming of his own actions and centrality in Kenya's political development, and the rightness of his resigning from KANU and starting KPU. His fixation with all things political makes this a supremely valuable book for its insight and information in the development, creation, and dissipation of Kenyas many political groups over the last 80+ years. Well worth the read - if a bit preachy at times - and really good for any one interested in Kenya s modern history.
April 20, 2019
This is a highly educative read. It gives a fresh perspective on the struggle for independence in Kenya, and our condition post- independence. It offers a side we are not often taught in schools, a huge mistake in my opinion. No one perspective should be peddled in which the former president Kenyatta is the sole hero and the rest are but puppets and assistants. Jaramogi shows us that there were many players in the struggle, and we ought to remember every single one of their names for the sacrifices they made. He also shows that what happens to us is ultimately on us; we decide when we've had enough, we decide when we rise up and take what is rightfully ours. No saviour is coming, we have to save ourselves.
May 3, 2018
This was a really heavy read but was well worth it to understand the enigma that is Odinga. It gives one man's perspective on his life and how he was part of the events that unfolded in agitating for Kenya's independence, and explaining his actions after independence.
His views are pretty strong although the end it sounds quite preachy. I'd like to challenge non-fiction writers to continue with the story where Odinga left off.
His views are pretty strong although the end it sounds quite preachy. I'd like to challenge non-fiction writers to continue with the story where Odinga left off.
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September 3, 2018Autobiography of Jaramogi Ajuma Oginga Odinga (October 1911 – 20 January 1994)
This book covered very detailed political events from the 1930s to 1960s not only Kenya but Africa. The author featured the entire ups and downs of Kenya independence struggle and the post-colonial period. This book is worth reading
Saeed M Osman
This book covered very detailed political events from the 1930s to 1960s not only Kenya but Africa. The author featured the entire ups and downs of Kenya independence struggle and the post-colonial period. This book is worth reading
Saeed M Osman
August 22, 2021
They don't make statesmen like this man anymore.
September 28, 2022
Contextually, it’s important to note that Odinga wrote this post- independence and after his fallout with Kenyatta and split from KANU. The reader would be forgiven for not catching this in the first half of the book, but at the end, it becomes clear that this book was written by a man on the defensive. “Jaramogi” felt betrayed by his friends and had suffered years propaganda and accusations of being a communist—something he called a “convenient” attack. This defensive tone is combined with repudiation that is repetitive and unhelpful from a literary standpoint. Nevertheless, it’s hard to imagine that there are many works that can offer such a thorough textbook-like timeline of the political events leading to Kenyan Independence in 1963, and an insight into the mind of one of the most effective (though controversial) statesmen in Kenyan history.
One of the most important things Odinga does is make sure that names are not forgotten. The cliff notes story of Kenyan independence recognizes a short list of people. The likes of Kenyatta, Mboya, Odinga, and more recently, Dedan Kimathi and the Mau Mau forrest fighters. Odinga lists so many names throughout this book. In describing a meeting, he may list a dozen or so attendees. And while this adds nothing to the narrative, he was consciously making sure these men and women were written into history.
Odinga was a true pan-African and recounts his travels throughout the continent and his relationship with other revolutionary leaders. He was a staunch proponent of East African Federation with Uganda and Tanzania (then Tanganyika) which never came to fruition despite mwalimu Julius Nyerere’s pleas. Federation is still discussed today. The most tangible step towards this is the recently introduced East African Passport that’s shared across the 3 original countries in addition to Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, and the DRC. Odinga also travelled globally including to the Eastern Bloc. As he puts it “The more I heard socialism and socialist countries condemned, the more curious I was to see for myself”.
As mentioned before, these are the words of a man who was justifying his legacy. But discerning eyes will be able to separate fact from opinion. There is plenty of fact, and in being separated from this book by half a century, we have the hindsight to audit that which was opinion. He correctly predicted that the land resettlement approach would cause unemployment and criticized the acquisition of vast lands by individuals including Kenyatta. He correctly saw that Kenya was overcommitting herself to debt and predicted that the British government would influence policy via lending. And he was accurate in his characterization of the emerging class of the political elite. He said that their interpretation of independence was “that they should move into the jobs and privileges previously held by the settler” and he blamed them for the “prostitution” of uhuru (independence).
While he was excellent in rallying tribes to unite for independence, I found his post-independence consideration for this topic inadequate. Though he was correct in opposing majimbo (political devolution/ regionalism) which would only enhance tribalism, he didn’t appreciate the concern behind it. Majimbo supporters feared a Kikuyu/ Lou dominated country and one way or another, this question deserved more consideration as shown by current politics.
Though nascent in my study, I venture to say that this work is of canonical status in the study of Kenyan independence and is an invaluable tool to understanding the current economic, political, and ethno-political landscape of Kenya.
One of the most important things Odinga does is make sure that names are not forgotten. The cliff notes story of Kenyan independence recognizes a short list of people. The likes of Kenyatta, Mboya, Odinga, and more recently, Dedan Kimathi and the Mau Mau forrest fighters. Odinga lists so many names throughout this book. In describing a meeting, he may list a dozen or so attendees. And while this adds nothing to the narrative, he was consciously making sure these men and women were written into history.
Odinga was a true pan-African and recounts his travels throughout the continent and his relationship with other revolutionary leaders. He was a staunch proponent of East African Federation with Uganda and Tanzania (then Tanganyika) which never came to fruition despite mwalimu Julius Nyerere’s pleas. Federation is still discussed today. The most tangible step towards this is the recently introduced East African Passport that’s shared across the 3 original countries in addition to Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, and the DRC. Odinga also travelled globally including to the Eastern Bloc. As he puts it “The more I heard socialism and socialist countries condemned, the more curious I was to see for myself”.
As mentioned before, these are the words of a man who was justifying his legacy. But discerning eyes will be able to separate fact from opinion. There is plenty of fact, and in being separated from this book by half a century, we have the hindsight to audit that which was opinion. He correctly predicted that the land resettlement approach would cause unemployment and criticized the acquisition of vast lands by individuals including Kenyatta. He correctly saw that Kenya was overcommitting herself to debt and predicted that the British government would influence policy via lending. And he was accurate in his characterization of the emerging class of the political elite. He said that their interpretation of independence was “that they should move into the jobs and privileges previously held by the settler” and he blamed them for the “prostitution” of uhuru (independence).
While he was excellent in rallying tribes to unite for independence, I found his post-independence consideration for this topic inadequate. Though he was correct in opposing majimbo (political devolution/ regionalism) which would only enhance tribalism, he didn’t appreciate the concern behind it. Majimbo supporters feared a Kikuyu/ Lou dominated country and one way or another, this question deserved more consideration as shown by current politics.
Though nascent in my study, I venture to say that this work is of canonical status in the study of Kenyan independence and is an invaluable tool to understanding the current economic, political, and ethno-political landscape of Kenya.
February 17, 2025
“The danger in Kenya has never been communism but imperialism and its remnants…the snake in the bush is less dangerous than the snake in our house, which is imperialism. Why seek a non-existent enemy when we already have a fight on our hands against the remnants of imperialism?”
An anecdotal and probably the most accurate depiction of colonial and post-colonial Kenya. As far as Kenyan political memoirs go, JaRamogi’s is up there. He paints the picture of living in colonial Kenya in the 40’s,the unchecked ambition that almost derailed the quest for independence and in the final chapters gives his side of the story on why he resigned from KANU and subsequently government. It goes without notice his reverence of Pio Gama Pinto and in contrast his resentment of Mboya and Ngala is well documented within this autobiography. It can be a laborious read but still Not Yet Uhuru is #goodreads
An anecdotal and probably the most accurate depiction of colonial and post-colonial Kenya. As far as Kenyan political memoirs go, JaRamogi’s is up there. He paints the picture of living in colonial Kenya in the 40’s,the unchecked ambition that almost derailed the quest for independence and in the final chapters gives his side of the story on why he resigned from KANU and subsequently government. It goes without notice his reverence of Pio Gama Pinto and in contrast his resentment of Mboya and Ngala is well documented within this autobiography. It can be a laborious read but still Not Yet Uhuru is #goodreads
January 23, 2019
Fantastic depth and insight, though the narrative is sometimes dense and dry.
January 12, 2022
Nice read
October 1, 2022
An excellent and detailed lesson on the history of Kenya.
February 22, 2018
Jaramogi Oginga Odinga chronicles the story of the efforts to create a national political movement for Kenya, the "free Kenyatta" movement and ultimately Kenya's struggle for independence. He also discusses the "Mau Mau" rebellion in some detail and distances himself and other leaders (including Kenyatta) from "criminal activities" carried out in the name of the group. His eventual falling out with Jomo Kenyatta which lead him to form his own political party should serve as a case-study in the identity and ambition driven history of politics in Africa. This book makes the case for Odinga's side of that relationship from its earliest days to point at which they went separate ways.
September 11, 2013
This book has taken me the longest time to read in all my book reading experience. It may be because its an autobiography which I often read with a pinch of salt,or because I felt the author did not focus much on his life but the prevailing pre and post colonial political environment in Kenya which I can easily get from other unbiased sources. Whatever my reason, the book is a good read for understanding why he did what he did.
Update: I never finished it
Update: I never finished it
December 13, 2019
A Vibrant Addition to Kenyan Colonial and Post Colonial Political Literature
An arresting account by one of Kenya’s most controversial politicians of his life and political contribution to Kenyan decolonisation. Odinga was a conviction politician with great energy and self belief and the book captures this to the full. An excellent, if somewhat choppy and chaotic, read.
An arresting account by one of Kenya’s most controversial politicians of his life and political contribution to Kenyan decolonisation. Odinga was a conviction politician with great energy and self belief and the book captures this to the full. An excellent, if somewhat choppy and chaotic, read.
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March 23, 2010Want lessons about political betrays - see what Jaramogi wrote
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July 9, 2017Essential reading. Anecdoctal accounts, that will seem all at once familiar; and explain alot of who we are as Kenyans
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews