Feature: Gatekeeper writes a book to help fight corruption

A gatekeeper at a school in Embu County has written a book that he believes could be the ultimate antidote to corruption in the country if Kenyans were to read it.

Josiah Njogu Kathuraku, 62, basis his handwritten book on hundreds of verses from the bible that condemns corruption.

Njogu who says he was saved in 1973 while still a pupil at Kianjokoma primary school says he was inspired by God to pen the book.

The father of four who works at St Mathews Kianjokoma primary school wrote the book mostly during his free time but during one school holiday he locked himself in his study for a whole month.

His writing is on a 6 quire black book and he has attached two additional size A4 textbooks totalling pagination of his raw work to 1071 pages.

 Njogu has appealed to President Uhuru Kenyatta to sponsor the printing of his work and distributing it to Kenyans free of charge.

He wants the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission to get a copy, among other government departments.

“I don’t want any payment for my work. I want as many Kenyans as possible to read it and thus stop engaging in corruption. I don’t have money to finance the printing,” he says.

He has titled it as “The Corruption of the World” and believes it would also be valuable to humankind the world over.

He started compiling it from 2006.

“I have always been used by the spirit of God to reach the people. In late 1990s, the spirit descended on me and I became a passionate anti-corruption crusader. I would condemn corruption at every opportunity until the people wondered the origins of my motivation,” he narrates.

He has organised his book into several topics. Included in the book are numerous newspaper cuttings on corruption discourse, his own thoughts, quotations from the bible and a listing of verses that touch on corruption.

Njogu says he read the entire bible from Genesis to Revelation and later compiled the verses that counsels against corruption in a way that brings out the wholesome message powerfully.

His work is not without grammatical errors-especially spelling.

“No other book can speak more powerfully against corruption than the bible. Since my work is based on the bible it will also have a strong influence in luring people against corruption,” he says.

Njogu preaches the vanity of amassing wealth through corruption saying ultimately the corrupt and their descendants get punished.

“If you take a salary advance, you’ll have to pay it at the end of the month. If you enrich yourself through corrupt means, you will in the end pay for it. Even if not you, your children will,” he says.

The man who swears he has never taken or given a bribe says accidents, sickness and various catastrophes befalling families and the country are punishments for corrupt deeds of parents or a family member.

Other books he has written include:  “Why Confusion in Youth” whose inspiration to write arose after hearing a radio talk show where parents were lamenting about waywardness of their children.

The book concludes that the vile behaviour of children is consequence of evils happening in the society for instance corruption or a curse for despising other people such as house helps.

Another book is “The Pillars of Our Nation: How a King is Born” in which he warns people against disrespecting or tarnishing a leader that God has anointed.

His last book is “How Accidents Occur” which he links to punishments for evil doing.

“I have toiled for years in writing these books. I don’t want any payment for my work. All I am asking for is for the government or a well-wisher to publish them so that the message can reach the people,” he said.

Njogu says his parents who were staunch Christians and prominent farmers moulded him to lead a God-fearing life to the extent that at Mweru Secondary School in Nyeri County where he schooled he was the school captain and Christian Union chair and was later employed by the board as a general clerk.

He left four years later and joined Murue Cooperative Society as a storekeeper until 2001 when he was retrenched when the sector almost collapsed due to poor payments.