Uncommon of an Avid Reader, this writing has five distinct and unrelated sections. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if you identify some correlation among all or any of them! It is a recollection of the pieces that formed the foundation for the Avid Readers’ Forum across different timelines.
Frustration and lamentations
At times, frustration births great ideas. In the early 19th Century, students at the University of Oxford faced restrictions on the topics they could discuss and the opinions they could express. Frustrated by this, a group of twenty-five young men met in late 1822 and created a set of rules for a society where they could freely express their ideas. The 'United Debating Society' was founded in March 1823 and has since become known as the Oxford Union Society, one of the most prestigious debating societies worldwide.
In 2019, Elisha Zebedee Ongoya repeatedly asked students, ‘What fascinates you the most as a student?’. He often lamented that many students had never heard of “Steve Biko”, “Hastings Wilfred Opinya Okoth-Ogendo”, or “the Concept of Law”. Additionally, most students could not name their Deputy Governors or their areas’ Members of Parliament. He would often dismiss classes prematurely because students had failed to prepare by going through the assigned readings. The man was frustrated. At some point, he withdrew from teaching a class because of this “reading sickness”. Other faculty members, including Lucianna Wambui Thuo, had also lamented about this inability of students to read. This growing frustration with the inability of students to read and have informative discussions occasioned a meeting that formed “the Avid Readers’ Forum in 2019”.
Pen, paper, food and the vision.
You're probably familiar with the saying, ‘A man who calls his kinsmen to a feast does not do so to save them from starving. They all have food in their own homes. When we gather together in the moonlit village ground it is not because of the moon. Every man can see it in his compound. We come together because it is good for kinsmen to do so.’ (Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart). When I was interning at Kabarak Law School, Elisha Ongoya, Joseph Omolo, and Elijah Njagi occasionally invited me for lunch at the Moi High School, Kabarak cafeteria. Perhaps my seniors did this, and they thought ‘it was good to do so’ as Chinua thought. Little did they know that they were also saving me from staving in addition to the enlightening conversations. During our meet-ups, Elisha Ongoya always insisted that I carry a pen and paper, as he had valuable ideas and information to share. He believed they could be forgotten if no one wrote them down.
On 5th September 2019, as we made our way to lunch at Moi High School, Kabarak, I again had my hunger, pen and paper ready. We each ordered ‘beans and chapati(s)’, and he added tea for himself, like an elder, on top of the two chapatis. Again, essentially, he lamented how some of his students were disinterested in reading and were unable to sustain a meaningful discussion. His face was full of nothing but frustration. Well, had he concentrated more on the chapatis, as I did, just like a comrade should, he wouldn’t have been so frustrated. At the time, as a problem, disinterest in reading and discourse was alien to me. It’s still alien to many. With my friends, Lawrence Kiptanui and Masinde Dolphin, we had been running a book club since December 2018. We would buy a book every month, read it, and meet at a restaurant in Nairobi to discuss and share our thoughts. We would meet once or twice a month. Also, in our final year, 2018, we had an idea to have a meet-up breakfast to read court decisions and discuss their impact. This never came to fruition because of our schedules. Nonetheless, I continued to involve myself in the discussion to solve students' disinterest in reading and having meaningful discussions.
Out of the discussion, Elisha Ongoya suggested a forum where interested students would come together, share material, read and discuss it. “The Avid Readers’ Forum”. I put that down on paper before taking another bite of my chapati! He envisioned that even if only ten students joined the forum, he would have achieved something “greater in his life”. He insisted that the endeavour must be used to instill a sense of pride in the members. That is, the acquisition of knowledge is something worth being proud of. So far, the forum had two members, Mr. Elisha Ongoya and myself.
As we waited for more tea, Rahab Mureithi Wakuraya and Ronald Allamano Ong’udi joined us. More tea came. When Rahab and Ronald heard of the idea of the forum, they both joined in lamentations and welcomed the idea of a forum for reading and discourse. They offered to be part of the forum. That is how membership was extended from students only to members of faculty. Ultimately, I was tasked to develop a concept note for the "Avid Readers’ Forum”. With this, Ongoya volunteered other names of staff members who would most likely have an interest: Edmond Shikoli, Sandra Soi, Julie Matoke, and Jared Gekombe. I put their names down on paper and took a sip of my tea. We parted on the agreement that Ongoya would recruit members of staff while I would recruit students.
Hand on the plough
By midnight on 5th September 2019, Joseph Omolo and Edmond Shikoli joined as additional members. After Shikoli read the concept note, he said (add Shikoli’s voice and diction, for effect), ‘My hand is on the plough. I have no intentions of looking back.’ This statement spoke for most of us. I strongly recommend an ARF award to Shikoli for this powerful and impactful statement. About two weeks later, seventy-three (73) students wanted to join the Avid Readers’ Forum. It was overwhelming, as we had expected only ten (10). Our first reading material for discussion was ‘African Poverty’ by Duncan Kennedy. One man prides himself as the inaugural and lead reader of the Avid Readers’ Forum since 9th October 2019. Even if I don’t mention him in this sentence, you would know him because he holds that privilege dearly. To appreciate his cherished occasion, he now holds the Avid Readers’ Forum award in recognition of his outstanding role as the inaugural Avid Reader. As of August 2024, 42 other outstanding lead readers and discussants have existed since 2019. There are more to come. Yet, their pride will be unmatchable to that of this man.
Many thanks to watu wa mkono
Several individuals have played a crucial role in the Forum in the past. In 2019, Melody Yego volunteered as the Student Coordinator, followed by dedicated members such as Racheal Jepchumba and Maria Golo Bokao. As the responsibilities grew, Julie Kemunto Matoke became the Faculty Coordinator. Lucianna Wambui Thuo has consistently contributed to the ARF’s success, showcasing exceptional moderation skills and fostering informative discussions in numerous sessions without fail when required.
Several influential members who contributed to the rise of ARF included Marion Joy Onchangwa and Stanley Omwamba Mayaka. Stanley, known for his exceptional videography and photography skills, captured and shared vibrant ARF events with the world. He always had a cable missing at the last minute as part of his mysterious yet exceptional expertise. All always went well. When ARF shifted to virtual sessions on Zoom, we gained prominence but also attracted unwanted attention from malicious onlookers. Jared Gekombe, a commanding figure resembling a District Commissioner (DC), was always vigilant in upholding our Zoom sessions' integrity, swiftly dismissing intruders who attempted to disrupt the proceedings. He dismissed malicious intruders without appeal. For this role, ARF awarded him in the year 2022. His award should have been named the 'Defender 110' to complete his authoritative appearance of a DC. A heartfelt thank you to all these individuals, as well as to others who have similarly contributed and are not mentioned here!
The future: Taking care of the vision
When I brought pen and paper to a meeting with Ongoya in 2023, the structure of ARF was reorganised and formalised into a document submitted to the School of Law governing bodies. The reorganisation included a Faculty Coordinator reporting to the Dean's Office, a Student Coordinator who would assist the Faculty Coordinator and a proposed budget allocation for the Forum. Same restaurant, but with ‘githeri’, for variety.
Over time, the organization of ARF has gained influence and impact. It has become a beacon of positive change in reading and discourse culture among students and staff members. Their collective efforts have turned the vision of ARF into a reality, leaving a lasting legacy for future generations. ARF sessions have reached world-class conference standards and have attracted attendance of close to one thousand people. It is evident that the vision of ARF has extended beyond students and faculty members, as members of the general public now attend ARF sessions to access shared knowledge. At many events, we have had senior academics, superior court judges, magistrates, lawyers, teachers, historians, and other notable individuals from various fields attending our sessions. ARF has genuinely become a beacon of ideas.
I hope that this trend continues indefinitely. It is worth noting that no other institution on the continent hosts regular reading and discussions as frequently as ARF. Our only competition is an institution in the North of the African Continent with a history of 200 years. Individuals like Elisha Zebedee Ongoya, who have remained committed to this vision, are the eternal champions of ARF. Prof. John Osogo Ambani, the Dean of Kabarak Law School, has also been a supporter. Hongera!
