There is much that is comical in our new Kenya; but the nature of comical statements is often something that invites threats.Years ago, when the late Kariuki Chotara, a Kenyan politician, wanted ìKaro Maxî arrested and detained, we laughed - but this sort of cowboy narrow-mindedness lead to a purge of writers, free-speakers and thinkers that Kenya is still recovering from.

Now a new one: that Chinua Achebe is a pornographer. His book, A Man of the people, which is taught in schools to 16-18 year olds, stands accused by the Catholic Church lobby group and several parents groups. (see http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php? id=16939)

My organisation, kwani? wishes to solicit commentary from writers and writers organisations so we can use this to prevent any action being taken to remove this book, and the other books under threat. We hope to have edited comments published in one of our national newspapers: the East African or The Sunday Standard.

We would need such submissions in by Monday the 15th of September 2003. We will also put up these comments on our website www.kwani.org We are also trying to get in touch with Mr. Achebe urgently so he may give his views on the matter.

Please forward this to any writers or lovers of free speech that you know.

FAHAMU RESPONDS: Fahamu condemns attempts to have three books withdrawn from the school syllabus on the grounds that they are "morally objectionable."

The books are Chinua Achebe's "A Man of the People" and S. A Mohammed's "Kiu" and "Kitumbua Kimeingia Mchanga" - all set-books for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education Examinations (KCSE).

Those who want the books removed claim they are sexually explicit and contain pornographic material.

Fahamu would like to point out that Achebe is one of the greatest writers ever to come out of Africa. His book "A Man of the People" was published in 1966 and describes a fictional post-colonial African state. It tackles the issues of political representation in a corrupt state and the problems of an ethnically diverse, economically stratified nation. The other two books are in Kiswahili, the Kenyan national language. All three titles are noted principally for their socially redeeming themes, which is why they were chosen as literary set-books.

Fahamu believes that the banning of the books would set a dangerous precedent and damage fundamental principles related to freedom of expression and the spread of ideas. We support the efforts of education and literary interests opposed to the banning of the books. Fahamu calls on all Pambazuka readers to send letters of solidarity