Kithaka wa Mberia
Kithaka wa Mberia (b. 1955) is a prolific and innovative poet who writes in free verse. He often employs innovative graphic forms, playing with the visuality of poetry. Wa Mberia has published four poem collections: Mchezo wa Karata(1997), Bara Jingine (2001), Redio na Mwezi (2005)and Msimu wa Tisa (2007). His poems became the first Swahili poems to be dramatised at the Kenya National Theatre, in 1988.

Wa Mberia is also an academic and playwright. He works as associate professor in linguistics at University of Nairobi. He has written three plays, one of which has been shown on TV. Wa Mberia has also worked as editor, consultant and translator, and his paintings have been exhibited at a Nairobi gallery. Moreover, wa Mberia has directed and produced a dramatisation of his own poems for university theatres, and directed a play by Alamin Mazrui.

You probably know Kithaka wa Mberia. Yes, that Kithaka wa Mberia of Kifo Kisimani. Did you know he is a son of Meru?

Prof Kithaka wa Mberia was born in Tharaka in 1955. He attended primary school in Tharaka before joining Chuka High School and then Alliance High School. In 1976, he enrolled at the University of Nairobi and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in 1979. He later obtained an M.A. and PhD from the same university.

Prof.Kithaka wa Mberia is one of Kenya’s best-selling authors. Eight of his books having been approved by Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) as study texts in schools, which is most probably where you might have come across them as set books.