my dearest Florence
I received that your letter
the one you sent
using the phone with no cables
you clarified many things
many things that made sense
most importantly
you said you need time
oh! Florence!
omukhana omulai kabisa*
I am really sorry that I pressured you
to become betrothed to me
you are a fine young lady
with beautiful hips,a pretty face
and most importantly, a fine piece of mind
I am ready to help you in all you pursue
if you want to be like Grace Ogot*
and become a Member of Parliament
I will throw away my male pride
and support you in achieving your goal
Florence…you have so much potential
me myself that is what I think
and even though society dislikes successful women
do not let that stop you from realising your full potential
(*omukhana omulai kabisa- A mixture of luhya and swahili and it refers to a very good girl)
(*Grace Ogot (b. May 15, 1930) is a renowned Kenyan author of short stories and novels. She is the first female writer from Kenya to win international attention and she was the first woman to have fiction published by the East African Publishing House.
In 1984 she became one of only a handful of women to serve as a Member of Parliament and the only woman assistant minister in the cabinet of then President Daniel Arap Moi. Ogot has since held various Ambassadorial posts, representing her country at the United Nations and UNESCO. Ogot is a founding member of the Writers’ Association of Kenya.)
sourced from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Ogot
