Book Review - Going Down River Road (Meja Mwangi)

This book, even though it was written back in 1976, still represents the struggle that we all go through so as to survive in Nairobi. Going Down River Road, by the award winning author Meja Mwangi, chronicles the struggle of what we see day to day due to economic inequalities that are present in our city, Nairobi.

We are introduced to Ben Wachira and his friend Ocholla who eke their living as construction workers for an Indian firm, Patel and Chakur Contractors. This job is not ideal and they work in poor conditions with the risk of being sacked without a warning.

Meja delivers serious social issues that affect Ben and Ocholla in a rather funny way despite this book representing the struggle of a normal Nairobian.

Ben was a very brilliant man, a former army man who was discharged dishonorably for selling mortars. Several of his colleagues were also sacked and one of them, Onesmus, is introduced later in the story and holds a grudge on Ben blaming him for losing his job.

Ben finds work at an insurance firm but is later sacked. He decides to paint the town red and ‘celebrate’ in style with his last pay. He goes to various bars and brothels and it is in these escapades that he meets Wini, a very attractive professional prostitute who is also a student pursuing a secretarial course. She is also a mother to a four year old son named Baby.

Ben takes a fancy to her and accompanies her to her house. She humorously comments on the cockroach infestation in the house thus:

You cannot kill them; I have tried all I can in my house. You find them playing with the insecticide container, trying to eat the plastic lid!”

Ben counts himself lucky when he gets a job at the construction site. He also moves in with Wini who takes care of all the costs incurred like rent and food. She seems to be a good woman who doesn’t mind him drinking a whole month’s pay. Wini promises to get Ben and his buddy Ocholla decent jobs.

Wachira even contemplates marrying her.

Things go to hell when Wini abandons him and her son, Baby, eloping with her white boss. She leaves clear instructions that Baby should be put in an orphanage but Ben decides to ‘adopt’ Baby and raise him as his own son.

When Ben is evicted from Wini’s house for failing to pay rent, he moves into Ocholla’s shack.

A funny plot twist occurs when Ocholla’s family comes to the city. Ocholla has two wives and a large number of children. Due to poverty and the struggle for existence, all of them, Baby and Ben included, have to share the shack. This puts strain to the relationship that exists between Ben and his friend.

As they walk down River Road after drinks, the two friends hope to get solutions to their life’s problems as they have always done as a team.

Meja in this book exposes the rot that is in the society by humorously using Ben, Ocholla and other characters to deliver his main theme of poverty and struggle for existence in Nairobi.

Enjoy your read.

Originally written in 2015 for the Standard.