My Safari Through Life

Dr. John Kakonge's book, MY SAFARI THROUGH LIFE: EXTRACTS, tracks the author's life from humble beginnings in rural Kenya to the career of an international civil servant and diplomat. He chronicles the problems of growing up in a large family with sparse resources and stresses the importance of of parental guidance and discipline within a traditional community. Moving to university, he was exposed to the world outside his village and, from there, to the international scene. As an international civil servant, Dr. Kakonge learned how success depends not just on your qualifications, but also on the informed networks and trust that you build. He shows that the United Nations (UN) system is like any other large organization, with its own particular flaws and distinctions, and that programmes which work in one place will not necessarily work in another. His tale ends with his conclusion that life is a safari (Swahili for "journey") which takes one from point to point, but not always in a straight line or the direction intended. It is a mysterious process punctuated by excitement, satisfaction, frustration, grief, and happiness, and which, he hopes, benefits those whose paths he crosses.