Risks of Knowledge: Investigations into the Death of the HON. Minister John Robert Ouko in Kenya 1990 FROM THE PUBLISHER
In February 1990, assailants murdered Kenya's distinguished minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, Robert Ouko. The horror of the attack, the images of his mutilated and burned corpse, and the revelations of the pressures, conflicts, and fears he faced in his last week focused national and international attention on the extent of government corruption during the Moi era. The story of a death foretold, this book brilliantly examines the multiple and unfinished investigations into the crime.
Powerfully argued, this complex and provocative study reveals the turmoil and untidiness beneath the smooth surfaces of historical narratives. Authors David William Cohen and E. S. Atieno Odhiambo raise critical questions about the production of knowledge and claims of truth, which extend well beyond the changing political landscape of postindependence Kenya. They also argue that the unresolved nature of the crime demands-as does Africa-to be understood not only in its generalities, but also in its specificities. The Risks of Knowledge is both a major reexamination of the public record of the Ouko murder and a call for a more detailed engagement with Africa's historical and present complexities.
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