06/04/2024
John Kiriamiti oozes rizz, look at him, the image of a devil-may-care detective or gangster in a smoky Hollywood noir film. No wonder Nigerian actor Jim Iyke wanted to play him in an adaptation of Kiriamiti's evergreen classic "My Life in Crime".
When I was a kid, my cousin in Standard Eight would regale me with tales of giants. In addition, he told me the story of a girl who fell in love with a bank robber whose exploits were the stuff of legend. Later on, I read "My Life with a Criminal" the story of Milly who is in love with Jack Zollo.
I don't know whether I am more ashamed or proud to admit that I was a bearded adult when I learned that Milly's story was written by John Kiriamiti himself. My awe at his literary prowess went a notch higher, because he had managed to convince me that a woman wrote that book.
Legend goes that Kiriamiti the Great wrote his novel on toilet paper while languishing at Kamiti. Henry Chakava the intrepid publisher took a risk on the book and was rewarded handsomely. Kenyans stood in queues outside bookshops just to get their hands on a copy of Jack Zollo's gung ho account of bank robbing.
The Zollo trilogy ends with My Life in Prison, a riveting account of his time in Kamiti, with exciting escapades like that time he faked mental illness so that he would end up at Mathare which was easier to escape from!
It is important to read all three books else you'll miss the message:
My Life in Crime - Sin
My Life with a Criminal - Effect of our sins on our loved ones
My Life in Prison - Penance
If you only read the first book, you'll think crime is exciting. But reading the second book makes you empathise with your loved ones who pay for your sins against their will, how you ruin other people's lives through the choices you make. The third book is the "Punishment" section of Dostoyevsky's "Crime and Punishment", and allows you to meditate on the consequences of crime.
John Kiriamiti is also the author of "Sinister Trophy" and "Son of Fate". He remains one of the most beloved novelists for most Kenyans.