GEOFFREY OSAAJI MUMIA Department of Literature, University of Nairobi, P O Box 30197 (00100) Nairobi. Tel. 254 020 318262 Ext. 28070 Cell Phone: 254-0722750268 E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] CURRICULUM VITAE PERSONAL DETAILS NAME: Geoffrey Osaaji Mumia NATIONALITY: Kenyan AGE: 36 Years DATE OF BIRTH: 16th July 1972 CAREER AMBITION My career ambition is to become an accomplished educator, writer and researcher. I am a member of the teaching staff and a PhD candidate in the Department of Literature at the University of Nairobi undertaking research on: “The Literary Essay In Anglophone Africa: A study of Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Taban lo Liyong and Chinua Achebe”. 1. ACADEMIC BACKGROUND a) Ph.D (Research is Ongoing) The literary essay in Anglophone Africa: Case studies of Ngugi, Achebe and Lo Liyong” INSTITUTION: University of Nairobi STATUS: In Progress b) M.A (Awarded) YEAR :2000 INSTITUTION :University of Nairobi DEGREE :Master of Arts with Distinction FIELD :Literature THESIS :"Stylistic Tension between the Extension and the Intension of meaning in Omondi Mak'oloo's prose texts". c) B. A (Awarded) 1 YEAR : 1996 INSTITUTION : University of Nairobi DEGREE : Bachelor of Arts, second class honours, and upper division DISSERTATION : "Wings to Fly", a novella 2. SUMMARY OF PROFESSIONAL SKILLS AND WORK EXPERIENCE a) RESEARCH AND TEACHING August 2004 to date: Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Literature, at the University of Nairobi. Units (areas) of specialisation: Black Aesthetics (RLT 307), Literary Stylistics (RLT 309), Language Use in Literature (RLT 103). Other units I have taught: West African Poetry and Drama (RLT 404), and Literature and Society (RLT 201). b) ADVOCACY FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT January 2003 to August 2004: Senior Programme Officer, Human Rights Education and Outreach, Kenya Human Rights Commission. Developed human rights advocacy instruments, Conducted trainings for human rights defenders and activists. Prepared the establishment of Human Rights Institute. February 2001 to January 2003: Programme Officer, the Caucus for Women’s Leadership. Worked on the establishment of the Women’s Regional Assemblies, coordinated research and publication of various women’s rights advocacy reports, gender sensitisation trainings, policy lobbying and gender activism. January 2000 to February 2001: Programme Officer, advocacy at the Refugee Consortium of Kenya. Coordinated research and publication of refugee rights advocacy reports. Conducted trainings on the rights of refugees. June 1999 to January 2000: Intern at FIDA and Project Assistant at the 2 Collaborative Centre for Gender and Development. 1992 to October 1997: During University vacations – Worked as research assistant at the Kenya Institute of Education. February 1990 to February 1992: Accounts Assistant at the Kenya Institute of Education. c) PROFESSIONAL TRAININGS ATTENDED i. Trained in Research for Oral Literature Scholars by KOLA in Mombasa, in April 2009. ii. Trained on Children’s Rights advocacy and curriculum development in Belgium by the Universities of Ghent and Antwerp in September 2008 iii. Trained on Curriculum Development by the University of Nairobi in April, 2007 iv. Trained on Pedagogic Skills by the University of Nairobi in October, 2005 v. Trained as a BRIDGE Elections Administrator by the Institute for Education in Democracy (IED) in November 2007 vi. Trained as a Trainer of Trainers by the UNDP-South Consultants in September/October 2005 vii. Trainer of Trainer of Facilitators by the Amnesty International in June/July 2005 viii. Trained as a Human Rights Monitor and Human Rights Defender by Amnesty International in June/July 2005 ix. Trained in Gender Analysis by UNIFEM-UNDP in May 2005 x. Trained in Team Leadership, Time Management and Emotional Intelligence by the British Council in March 2005 xi. Trained in Advocacy for the rights of old people by HelpAge International in July 2002 xii. Trained in Report Writing by Interlink Rural Information Service (IRIS) in October 2002 xiii. Trained in Programme design, planning and implementation by the Refugee Consortium of Kenya in 2001 xiv. Trained in Legal Issues in Gender Advocacy by FIDA-Kenya in September 2000 xv. Trained in Gender Advocacy by the Collaborative Centre for Gender and Development in August 1999. 3 3.PUBLICATIONS a) PUBLISHED JOURNAL ARTICLES i. “Subverting the patriarchal ideology: A case study of a Samburu Woman oral narrative performer” in the Research in African Literatures, published by the Indiana State University Press, January 2009. ii. “Will they survive the margins? Endangered languages and oral traditions in Kenya”. In Indigeneity, Culture and Representation. Eds. G.N Davy, Geoffrey Davis and K.K Chakravarty. New Delhi: Orient Blackswan, 2009. iii. “Imagi(ni)ng bodies as pleasures: Interrogating sexual identity among the youth in Kenya”, in MILA: A Special Edition on Youth and Sexuality, a journal of the Institute of Anthropology, Gender and African Studies, of the University of Nairobi, January 2009. iv. “Oral Literature and Human Rights: Pedagogical and Curriculum questions” in the ICCR’s Human Rights journal in Belgium, 2009. v. “The Child Reader as Writer” in the 4th edition of the Nairobi Journal of Literature, 2006. vi. “(Re) Writing Orality in Oral Performance” in the 3rd Edition of the Nairobi Journal of Literature, 2005. b) CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS vii. “Language, resistance and Identity formation in Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s works” published in Conference proceedings of the Association of Commonwealth Literature and Language Studies (ACLALS), September 2007. viii. “Performance and the Disappearing Present” a paper in the conference report by UNESCO and KENRIK on Endangered Cultures and Languages, November 2006. c) FORTHCOMING JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS 4 i. “Elements of Orality in Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s novel, ‘The Wizard of the Crow’”, in the Research in African Literatures, Indiana State University, 2009. ii. “Global Africa: The Question of Language, Identity and Communication” in the forthcoming edition of the CBAAC’s Africa’s Renaissance, 2009. iii. “What ails the Yaaku?” in the forthcoming edition of Indigeneity, Culture and Representation. Eds. G.N Davy, Geoffrey Davis and K.K Chakravarty. New Delhi: Orient Blackswan, 2010. e) UNPUBLISHED RESEARCH PAPERS i. “Of gaps and Vision: Interrogating the Kenya Government policy on gender” paper presented for a writing competition at FIDA- Kenya, September 2000 ii. “Africa has the resources for all its people to lift themselves out of poverty” an essay presented to a competition at Action Aid Kenya, April 2000 iii. “The role of women in creating a culture of peace” a paper presented for a competition at the Collaborative Centre, July 1999 f) WORKS WAITING PUBLICATION i. “Fountain of tears” a novel ii. “Wings to fly” a novella iii. “Behold Me”, a Short Story iv. “Survivor”, a Short Story v. “The Yala and the Hippo ”a collection of children’s g) PRINT MEDIA PUBLICATIONS i. “Is the old firebrand Ngugi wa Thiong’o finally mellowing?” in the Sunday Nation on 16th September 2007 ii. “Journal boosts Children’s Literature” in the EA Standard on 23rd March 2007 iii. “Kenya needs radical leadership shift” in the Sunday Standard on 3rd June 2007 iv. “Mungiki’s pretence to fight for the poor a joke” in the East African Standard on 1st June 2007 v. “Raila change of tack can save ODM, himself” in the EA Standard on 23rd May 2007 5 vi. “Every Region should taste the presidency” in the Sunday Standard 20th May 2007 vii. “It is too early to celebrate upper hand claim” in the Sunday Standard on 13th May 2007 viii. “Celebrating the matatu culture” in the Sunday Standard on 6th May 2007 ix. “Government has lost war against insecurity” in the EA Standard 18th April 2007 x. “Why Corruption is the bane of CDF” in the Sunday Standard 4th June 2006 xi. “Of Human error, commission and omission in the Marsabit air crash” in the Sunday Standard, April 16 2006. xii. “A Leading light in Women’s Struggle: A Profile of Dr Phoebe Asiyo” in the Sunday Standard 28th May 2006 xiii. “The folly of America fighting its shadow in Iraq” in Friday Standard June 2nd 2006 xiv. “Military Operation already in the mud” in the Sunday Standard 21st May 2006 xv. “The burden of HIV/Aids on Women in Kenya” in the E.A Standard on 1st December 2005 xvi. “Lease Northern Kenya to Israel” in the Saturday Standard, April 29 2006. xvii. “Why Banditry is here to stay” in the Sunday Standard, May 7 2006 xviii. Violence, the bane of Kenya Politics", the main article in Adili Newsletter of Transparency International, December 2002 xix. Violence mars Kenyan polls", an article in The East African Standard, December 15th 2002 xx. "Graft dogs Government reform agenda", an article in Adili Newsletter of Transparency International, October 2002 xxi. "Corruption hampering justice in Kenya” an article in Habari za Tanzania, a Magazine of MS Tanzania, in June 2002 xxii. "Budget fails to calm public fears", an article in the People Daily Newspaper, June 2002, xxiii. "High Expectations as Budget is read", an article in The Kenya Times Newspaper, June 2002 xxiv. “Which way our National regeneration?” a paper in the Gender Lens Magazine of the Collaborative Centre in August 1999 6 h) KISWAHILI TRANSLATIONS i). July 2003: Kiswahili Translator for the PANOS East Africa Report, "Public Perception Index on Economic and Political Reforms in East Africa" as “Mtazamo wa Umma kuhusu Mageuzi ya Kisiasa na Kiuchumi katika mataifa ya Afrika Mashariki”. ii). July 2002: Wrote and translated the article “Corruption Hampering Justice in Kenya” as “Rushwa inakwamisha utendaji haki nchini Kenya” for the MS Tanzania Magazine, Habari za Tanzania. iii). July 2003: Translated, “From the Margins to the Centre” into Kiswahili as “Zindukeni toka Pembezoni” an annual report of the Caucus for Women’s Leadership. PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS 1. Member, Association of Commonwealth Languages And Literature Studies (ACLALS) 2. Member, Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC) 3.