P. Njeru Njuno 
Swimming Against the Culture of Corruption 

Swimming Against the Culture of Corruption is, as the title suggests, intended to fight corruption, which has been one of the societal ills in Kenya. It is intended to point out to the ordinary Kenyan that he or she has a responsibility to deal with this evil and not to wait for political leaders to change the culture of corruption exclusively by themselves. Culture in this book is used in its wider meaning as to include such things as lies, which is corruption of truth.

I have argued that fighting corruption calls for personal sacrifice, and I have demonstrated this with my personal experience and testimony. That was the purpose of telling my short life story in order to encourage others to come out and tell their stories as well in dealing with the rampant corruption in our society, which is to be found at all levels. Equally, the book argues that legislated law alone cannot deal with the problem as long as corrupt practices have been embedded in our culture. At the same time, I have argued that the culture of corruption is not inherently African. That, whereas its genesis may be traced in the twentieth-century colonization of our country by the British, the real practice as exercised by Kenyans against one another is, indeed, a post-Independence phenomena.

In arguing the case of the power and efficacy of culture in determining the destiny of a society, I have said that we need to change our culture, and that by doing so, we shall be reverting to our truly African culture of integrity.

About the author

I was born on June 10, 1950 among eight siblings. This was the time when Kenya was fighting for Independence from the British. In 1952, when I was hardly two years a state of Emergency was declared by the British on Kenya, its colony. This opened room for the British to detain, without trial, those who were suspected of agitating for independence. My father was detained and sentenced for seven years imprisonment. Our family, among many others, were moved to villages, which were more like concentration camps.
For seven years my family was subjected to abject poverty. But my mother’s faith in God was unwavering. After six years my father was released from prison and slowly life in my family returned to normal. By this time my life had been greatly influenced to belief in God through Jesus Christ by my mother. My faith, however, wavered a bit in my teenage years but was revitalized by the time I completed my six years of High School.
After high school, in 1972, I worked, did business, as well as going to college and attained an MBA. In 1996, after the death of my eldest brother, who had represented my area in parliament, died I was drawn to parliamentary politics, but I must add, out of my zeal to fight corruption. In 1997 I was unsuccessful for my parliamentary bid. In 2001 I left Kenya for the United States. In 2007 I was back in Kenya and again I vied unsuccessfully for a parliamentary seat. In 2008 I came back to the U.S., went back to college and did a Graduate Certificate in Financial Analysis, and a Masters of Accounting and Financial Management.
I am happily married with three daughters and one son. I also have eight grandchildren. I am a part-time assistant pastor in a predominantly Kenyan church in Santa Rosa, California.