By Njoroge Kinuthia
East African Standard (March 15, 2002)

(The writing of KA was announced to the public for the first time by the East African Standard Newspaper. This was out of an interview contacted at my home by Mr Njoroge Kinuthia. He interviewed me as the Executive Chairman of the KA project. The following is the full interview, after which follows selected responses from both the local and the internet audience)

2(a) He gets sentimental as he bends to me read a verse from the yet to be published book. “God,” he intones, his beseeching voice shaky and sepulchral, “we know you are merciful, so have mercy on me God. We know you are full of lo-o-ve, so fill me with love, G-o-d!…”  As he continues, he becomes more engrossed and soon gets carried away by strange wings to a world unbeknown to me. I am forced to re­mind him that he had promised to read me just but one verse.

2(b) “Just listen to this,” he beseeches and goes on to read: “God…” This is Dr David Maillu reading a new manu­script. This time round it is nothing like from one of his My Dear Bottle or After 4.30, his early works which cata­pulted him to literary circles.

2(c) It is KA, The Holy Book of Neter which, like most of his publications, is a potentially contro­versial book bound to cause ripples not only in literary circles but also in religious corridors. Only that this time round, Maillu will not be on the receiving end alone. He will be buffeted with five other academic gi­ants, with whom he has co-authored the book. They are:

Prof A.B.C Ochola Oyayo, anthropologist (late)
Prof. Osaga Odak, anthropologist (late)
Prof Sam Munywoki, psychologists
Mr Magoiga Seba, anthropologist
Mr James Kangwana of communication and religion.

2(d) KA, The Holy Book of Neter means the “Soul of God”. Maillu says, the word KA is derived from the ancient Egyptian language and some West African languages and means “Soul” while Neter means “God”. Its authors intend it to be, “a bible for African religion: Once published, the “Bible” is expected to be a bounty volume of about 600 pages.

2(e) Unlike the Christian Bible and the Muslim Ko­ran, which are said to have been communicated directly to man by God, KA is a product of the diverse African culture. Maillu notes that culture and religion in the African context are insepa­rable.

2(f)The book is a product of an intense three-year compilation by the six scholars­, an effort which culminated in May last year, when they exhausted the manuscript. It is meant for the entire Black Race and mankind at large.

2(g) “This is a universal Holy Scripture, just like the Bible and the Koran, among others,” says Maillu. ­

2(h) Maillu, whose brainchild the work mainly is, in addition to Prof Osaga Osaka’s effort, says he was inspired by the realization that there were no holy scriptures that cater for the African reli­gion. He says he was motivated by Prof John Mbiti who once wrote that African religion is found in all aspects of life but had not been concretized into “scriptures or holy books”.

2(i) Mbiti, in one of his popular books, Introduc­tion to African Religion, argues that in the African set-up, religion is to be found in prov­erbs, riddles, names, people, places, myths, beliefs and legends and all aspects of life. He asserted that Africans are notoriously reli­gious and no one agrees with him better than Maillu.

2(j) He admits that KA has borrowed heavily from Mbiti”s works. Maillu and his colleagues argue that Africans have relied heavily on Western religions, “as if they do not have their own.” Maillu terms this as the West”s brainwashing of the African continent.

2(k) The new book, he says, addresses religion from the African perspective. He, however, adds that it is not a replacement of existing scriptures, but an addition. “We have built the religious house for the lost Africans,” Dr Maillu says of the book he has helped put together.  “If there is anything I have ever done and felt so satisfied about, it is this,” he says cuddling the file bearing the scriptures.

2(l) The writer, who has in the past been on the receiving end for writing what some people pornographic, says: “Today Africa has the widest groups of imported denominations because they have nothing African to follow.”

2(m) He clarifies that the new Bible does not create a new God. “It is only addressing God in a new form, which is the African way. We believe this is the best thing we could do for Africans. With its publication, Africans will be free spiritually, for they are still in bondage.”

2(n) Dr Maillu is the Chair­man of the Executive Working Committee for the restoration of the African Religion. He claims that most of the present political and socio-economic upheavals in Africa are fuelled by Imported religious values.
His vision is to have Africans worshipping the African way, using KA as the Bible.
“Soon, people will go to the shrines to worship their God.”

2(o) However, there are more immediate problems. The committee lacks funds to publish the book. Maillu appeals to well-wishers to contribute to­wards this cause. “We have given mankind a new child, let us nurture it.”

2(p) Immediately it is published, Maillu says, the Committee will seek registration of the African Religion However, it will not be a closed shop for Africans. He says it will be a religion for all mankind, just like Christianity and Islam.

2(q) But unlike other holy scriptures which prom­ise the existence of ever lasting bliss In heaven, Maillu says there is no heaven afterlife on earth.
“You become something like a spirit, but there is nothing like heaven.” Maillu expects criticism, but warns: “Anyone who says anything bad about KA is like someone blaming the Af­rican for being black-“

2(r) Already, Maillu says, some people see the book as “devil worship” which he says is highly misplaced. The book is divided into 10 Books. ( the details of the books are given at the beginning)…Notably, KA encompasses virtually all aspects of human life. II is creatively done and, like the Bible, it is literary.

2(s) But the question that begs for an answer is: does the Black Race need an African religion as propounded by Dr Maillu?”’,