Kamau Kiarie: Why image is everything

Outside, the sky at Lavington in Nairobi was patchwork blue and dark grey, and Kamau was pouring me hot tea as we talked. What if you asked him if he wanted to become a radio broadcaster?

Books in all fields. From children to short novels for young adults and full-length novels for adults, and from literature to fiction. But Kenyans love motivational books. Unfortunately, most of them are published abroad, unless we talk about the autobiographical works of high achievers.

definitely. I go to libraries to browse and find books. I read From the third world to the first By Lee Kuan Yew.

Haha! Image is everything, so it's important to have the right cover for your book. Blurb is also necessary because the packaging can sometimes be misleading.

Haha! When you read and get to some chapters, you ask yourself: “What should I read then?” Which means it might not make sense, especially if the author is rambling.

Multiple books at once. Especially when I travel, I'll take four books with me, so I can break down the books, digest them, and reflect on what I've read. You'll gain more because you're less likely to get carried away with too many things in one book and forget the nice nuggets.

Uhm, this is by this Singaporean fellow. You just want to read and reflect on 10 pages. Changing a country is such a huge undertaking – when you change the mindsets of a people, you can achieve so much more. There's a phrase in the book about making sure our toilets are clean. It's a metaphor for changing our mindsets, and addressing the areas that can make us stink in good times and bad.

Yes, but unfortunately the reading material was not as plentiful as it is now. I've grown up with it Weekly review And Reader's Digest magazine– which has since been closed.

Ahhh. The current rainfall is not like the one we experienced when we were children. It rained with hailstorms and, indeed, there was climate change. In our time, the rain was coming down harder, but we were playing outside. Our immunity was stronger, not because we had a good diet, but because we only ate what was available.

To encourage them to know what they want to do early on and allow them to explore the world. I was not a good footballer but I loved listening to football commentary and one of my sons was very passionate about football. She let him run with her. The other is interested in engineering stuff, and I let him fix things unlike the way we were raised, “Don't touch that!” “Don't start your father's car!” “The radio belongs to Daddy.” Once they hoard items, they are likely to want to rebel and thus become anarchists.

Well, we play badminton, but at an amateur level.

It's a good thing. You realize that this young man treats you like a hero, asking questions and expecting answers. I think the best psychological counselor is the parents, if it doesn't happen within the confines of the family, it may not work well there.

The connection between me as a father and the CEO. As of 2020, people have embraced working from home and kids will treat that time as a formal office, but when you step out of that office, you move into balancing parent and CEO.

this is difficult. It's better for an outsider to say it. How would you describe me?

Well, look my eldest son is very thoughtful too.

Both have their own complexities. The family starts from scratch, and sees it grow, with many aspects related to home, school, vacations, etc. My experience is that the difficulty in raising children extends to all areas. Even your mother now, no matter how old she is, will still wonder if you are safe there, right?

Philosophically, when I am a good father, I am a good husband.

Image is everything. I was attracted to her outer beauty when I recognized her inner beauty. It was a beautiful harmony.

She is a very good listener. She listens, understands, and takes time to express an opinion, especially if it is a family decision. And also respect – respect for you and your views. If she wants to disagree, she will phrase it so beautifully that you have no choice but to accept that she disagreed. I didn't know we'd veer this way! The interview turned out to be more complicated than I thought.

We may not fight but postpone investment ideas. Sometimes I'll have a great idea like this, and she'll poke holes in it, and vice versa. This challenges us to think more deeply.

I spend money on souvenirs when I travel, and sometimes I get scammed when they are overpriced because the price is never fixed, one vendor sells it for one price, you go to the next vendor and it's much cheaper. But then, I have no reason to feel cheated because I will have this souvenir for life, including a reminder that I was cheated on!

Shaving cream. I shave daily. If I let my beard grow for a month, it would be an amazing sight.

I have great taste in music, almost all genres.

Soul and country music, then rhythm and blues. But it cuts across the board.

Songs of Julio Iglesias. especially When I need you.

I play golf but I'm not good at it. I exercise and go for walks. There was a time when I was in the theatre.

I'm very meticulous, especially in this publishing world. Here lies a meticulous man.

(Long pause) Health. Never take it for granted that you can do the things you do. It's one of those things we assume, but until it's gone, you don't understand the appeal.

Can I be better? What should I do to be better? Especially with the resources I have been given. There is a Kikuyu saying: “Things fall from the sky, and their maker distributes them to the people.” What do you have in your hands?

From 1 to 4. I immersed myself in serious study, eliminating luxuries, distractions, and anything that would derail me. I passed my Level 4 exams, and that was the starting point of my journey.

I can't be a politician. This is not my thing.

– Not seizing certain opportunities. If that were the case, there might have been a transformation in my life.

not yet. We grew up in the era of selecting quotes from newspapers and magazines. I still remember one: It's never too late to be what you could have been. That's why I haven't forgiven myself yet; I still believe I can follow through and achieve it.

It is the observation that health is everything.

health. Your systems are working, and that matters a lot.

Chinua Achebe Things fall apart He says that when a child washes his hands, he can eat dinner with adults. I can see in a small way that this has happened in my life. Sometimes you find yourself in places, and wonder how you got here?

Professor Ngugi Wa Thiong'o. He is not just a literary scholar, but also a sage. You sit with him, you leave filled with wisdom.