Book Review || In Conversation with Mohamed Tokal Morowa || Author of Her Majesty the Ex
Bridgette James (Host)
So, ladies and gentlemen, who is Mohamed Tokal Morowa? Mohamed Tokal Morowa is a finance professional and writer who works as a revenue officer with the county government of Tanah River in Kenya. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from. Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology. Mohammed is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Financial Engineering at Wald Quinn University in the United States. Ooh. Alongside a Master of Business Admin, Strategic Management Option at the Open University. In Kenya. Wow.
So, drawing on his work in public finance and his deep connection with the people and stories of the Taner Reef region, he brings a distinctive voice to storytelling. And I can concur that he does. Her Majesty the Ex is his debut novel. Ooh. He's currently completing his second book, the Pokomo Encyclopaedia, a work celebrating Pokomo heritage and culture. I've got some difficult questions for you, Mohamed. You wait till you hear them.
So, Mohammed, was that a good enough introduction or have you got other bits and bobs to add?
Mohamed Tokal Morowa
Actually, when the book was being published, Pokomo Encyclopaedia was to be my second title, but as we speak, my second title will be The Light Skinned Goddess. You see the Pokomo Encyclopaedia. There's a lot of work to do with it. I'm compiling a lot of history, so it involves travelling here and there. So, it will be my third title. So, I've actually finished writing The Light Skinned Goddess, which is a political thriller, also laced with romance, because I seem I enjoy things to do with romance. And in a week's time, the official book cover will be released. So, from there, I'll Know when the book launch will be. So, a literal correction. My second title will be "The Light Screen Goddess." Thanks for that, and I'll keep an eye out for it.
Bridgette
Going back to Her Majesty the Ex, which I really enjoyed. I'm gonna, say, it's from a man's perspective, but I was like, he's really upset about what this lady did. Okay, that's why he's writing like that. Is the character Malika based on a real person?
Tokal Morowa
Malika is inspired by someone I know, but fictionalised. So, Malika is a fictional character but inspired by a person I know.
Bridgette
I did enjoy it. So that Malika lady, tell me a bit more about the story. So, romance fiction, but tell me a bit more about what you want to share because we're going to buy the book. We want people to buy the book. Well, tell me a bit more about Malika.
Why was the protagonist so upset? You know, when the story started, I heard something like, you know. She's done something which really upset him. Like, what did she do? Did she dump him or something? Why was the protagonist so upset with Malika? Tell us a little bit. Tell us what you can share so people will buy the book.
Tokal Morowa
So, so the book basically is about a teenager, from a rural setting of Kenya, who was so much obsessed with puppy love affairs. So basically, I was targeting teenagers on the subject of peer pressure, a puppy love affair. So, the character, the main character, Moribino, who narrated the whole story, was obsessed with a young girl, Malika, who I said is a fictional character, very principled, who couldn't give in To the sexual demand by Modidinho. So basically, it's a story that narrates how teenagers from the rural setting of Kenya go through everyone, especially bright boys from the young age. A lot about peer pressure, yeah, bad company.
They always this is happening everywhere. I don't know if it also happens there, but these young boys. Try to experience sexual sex at a very young age you get. So, I wanted to write something about it. How young people from the rural part of Kenya experience puppy love affairs.
Then I moved the story from a high school setting, up to a university level. But then, the character I made for Malika. Was not a good one, you see, and that's how people perceive young girls, yeah. So she wasn't quite bright as Modidinho. Modidinho was very bright in class, yeah. He actually excelled very well at the secondary level, but Malika ended up failing. So, at the point of failure, Malika felt that if now Modidinho goes to university, he's he was going to get more educated girls there.
So, what did Malika do? She gave up, and through temptation, she got a sugar daddy, some kind of old man who was man-eared, and the story continues. I don't want to disclose everything. So basically. The story narrates the challenges that young people go through, yeah, fighting peer pressure, yeah, also young girls, the temptation that they get, yeah.
Bridgette
Socioeconomic pressure where, you know, even in relationships, we see that Malika has given in to the temptation of being with an older man; he's gonna get her a phone. I remember reading that the protagonist looked at her phone and went, "Where did she get that phone from?" You know what I mean?
And thinks that and it's so reflective, I think, of what happens in these typical African settings where money is thought to buy love and I really felt sorry for that young boy, for that For your protagonist, say his name again for me, please.
Tokal Morowa
So, Modidinho. Modidinho was inspired by Ronaldinho. So, it's Mohamed. Okay. It's Mohamed, but Ronaldinho who is a famous footballer, Mohamed grew up loving football. Yeah. So Ronaldinho inspired Mohamed. The short form for Mohamed is Modi. So, so that's where the name is derived from.
Bridgette
It's the commodification of sexual relationships, where everything is so commodified in the age where we live now… where it's like whoever has my money gets the prettiest girl, and the way that Malika was described, she's light-skinned, and we see that a lot of people will want her, you know, like the village belle. She has all these virtues that people will want, and I felt like the male protagonist, he was a bit emasculated, because he was struggling with his education. He came from a good home. His parents wanted him, you know, to focus on his, and he ended up doing well. And he was like, what more can you give in it? The dynamics of power in a relationship. What more can you do? He did all he could, but you know, sadly, that's the society that he found himself in. So, is the story true about what happens in Kenya then?
Tokal Morowa
Yeah, actually it's a reflection of what happens here. Part of the story is from my personal experience. Yeah, so but I also fictionalised some aspects. So, cause here in Kenya you'll find that you'll start schooling with a number of girls, let's say like in my class we were around 30 students, around 12 boys, and 18 girls. But as we speak right now, most most of them dropped out of the way. Yeah. So by the time we were doing the primary school elementary exams, we only had five out of out of a total of eighteen. So, in secondary school only I think two managed to go to the at the to the secondary level. So none of them managed to go to the campus. So right now, the girls that I schooled with at grade one, right now, if I pass around, I could see them having as many as seven children.
The community here somehow degrades young girls. And you know with all the challenges that they go through they are not encouraged now to go back to school. So, whatever was covered in that novel, actually reflects what happens in Kenya and more specifically in Tana River county which is a rural part of Kenya.
So even the young boy. Modidinho managed to go to secondary school through a scholarship by a bank. The issue of poverty now comes in. So almost 60 percent of the people here live below a dollar. Yeah, per day they can't manage to even raise a dollar. So had Modidinho not got that scholarship, then we’d be talking about something else. You see, so there was also an element of Modidinho going to the rural village with a phone, and all of a sudden, he was dubbed the village millionaire.
That was the situation back then. You get so people are so poor, yeah. And another thing was about Modigino borrowing clothes when there was a rally at the high school. I don't know if you reached that far?
Bridgette
In the book? Yes, I did yeah. I remember the evening where he was gonna cheat on Malika and he borrowed some clothes and that's why he was even going to get expelled even from that school.
Tokal Morowa
Indeed. It's a true reflection so if you read through the book you'll understand what people in Tana River go through and generally Kenya so yes, it's a true reflection of what is happening in Kenya. But right now, I can say somehow things have improved. Because that was seven years ago. You talk of the roads. I mentioned the roads, the infrastructure. Yes. About how the buses are. Back then seats were dilapidated…and the bumps and potholes. So it's still the situation right now about the infrastructure, the road infrastructure. It's still the situation as we speak. Very few things have changed.
Bridgette
Yeah, and actually I liked the way you touched on how women are portrayed, how girls, you know, what happened to them, the fact that so few of them managed to do well at school and even remain in school. Because they're married off or they have kids, and despite all of that, how the black boy, the African boy, you know, is actually doing so well, like you were doing, and people take for granted all the social inequalities that exist in your country.
And yet, you know, can produce someone like yourself. It’s a testimony that the system works and people are dedicated; people are determined to get ahead in life, aren't they?
Tell me, how was your book received? I bet they liked it. How did people react to your book when it came out? How was your novel received? Was it well received? I bet it was.
Tokal Morowa
When I released the book, I received calls from school principals inviting me to talk to students because for them they thought whatever I had explored was a reflection of what students go through. Actually, I got some offers. My publisher initially released a thousand copies and I sold all the copies in record time. I think, four months, because there was a good reception from high schools, because you've gone through the book and you can see any high school student can relate to it. And university students too. Also, for a case of someone of your age, you could read and somehow, lose touch, but my target audience was teenage students, mostly high school students.
There were some explicit sexual scenes, but, in high school, I had read books which were more extreme; describing sex, so I didn't consider my scenes any more extreme, okay?
The book was well received. And actually, I was the youngest person in my county to have ever published an English novel.
Bridgette
The youngest. Congratulations.
Tokal Morowa
There are others who had published books, but they were more established in their careers, yeah.
And you know English is my third language. The first is Pokomo. Second is Swahili, so which is spoken by almost all Bantus in Eastern Africa. Then English is my third language, which means I had to go to through school, learn the language, and now construct thoughts and now come up with a book, which is not something easy.
Bridgette
Yeah, and also is it the Kenyan Times bestseller.
Tokal Morowa
So that is Tana Times. That's a newsletter. Yeah, a local newsletter.
Bridgette
Oh okay. Yes, it's become a bestseller. And just before I let go of you, you've done so well. Where did you learn to write? Did you take writing classes? Yeah, people want to know. Were you self-taught?
Tokal Morowa
At as an at an early age, I used to read a lot. I used to observe so my dad would bring newspapers. My dad would also bring storybooks to read. So sometimes he could read them, then give them to me to read and interpret the stories to him. At an early age I developed that interest of engaging with books. By the time I was in Standard One. I can tell you I was way ahead of my peers because I could read, I could write very good essays. So basically, it was the contribution from my parents, my teachers, and my culture of reading and writing. Authors - as we say – if you read a lot, you probably are going to write a lot. I read several books, several styles, several genres. Where I learnt my writing, that basically described it all.
Bridgette
Yeah, and you know Kenya is well known for its African literature. We were talking about the Cainne Prize for African Writing and Gladwell Pamba was one of the people that were shortlisted.
Where can we buy your book: Her Majesty the Ex?
Tokal Morowa
You could buy my book at Nuria Bookstore. Both online bookstore and instore. Eh, previously I had uploaded the book on Amazon and believe you me since 2021 I haven't received a cent from Amazon. So, I'm actually thinking about deleting the book from the platform? And also, you can get my book directly from me — the author.
Bridgette
Thank you so much. It's been a pleasure talking to you, Muhamed.
Tokal Morowa
No, well, thank you so much, and good evening. I won't take it for granted. So many authors couldn't believe that I got such a platform to tell my story. I would say thank you very much. Somehow God brought you to me through an outrageous comment that was made by an elder of around 70 years. God has a way of connecting people, and I went through your platform, I saw how you celebrate authors.
Bridgette
And ladies and gents, the book is still available on Amazon for now. So you can get a copy of it. And if you're in Kenya, please reach out to Muhamed Tokal Morowa.
Author's Facebook Link: https://www.facebook.com/Moroa.Tokal
Amazon Kindle Book Link: https://amzn.eu/d/07GOOw7s
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